Mont Dauphin, place forte de Vauban

After the attack by Victor-Amédée de Savoie in the Haut-Dauphiné in 1692, Vauban put forward to Louis XIV the idea of strengthening the defence of the Alpine frontier by creating a new stronghold. It was named Mont-Dauphin in honour of the king’s son, the Grand Dauphin. It was primarily built as a deterrent, and was proved effective, only coming under fire when a random Italian bomb was dropped in 1940. This book shows the stronghold as it was designed, with its bastions, and military buildings as well as the civilian housing of the 17th century that testify to Vauban’s efforts to create a town in this austere high mountain landscape. Mont-Dauphin, built on a rocky promontory with spectacular sheer cliffs, is located between the Ecrins national Park and the Queyras regional Park. These prestigious parks are worth exploring at the same time as Mont Dauphin.