Port-en-Bessin
History and description
The artillery tower of Port-en-Bessin was constructed in 1694 in order to protect the port of the same name against the Anglo-Dutch naval raids, during the War of the League of Augsburg. The engineer Benjamin de Combes completed it in based on the models of Vauban. The adaptation to the land, height dominating the port, allowed those constructing to do away with a real tower. The construction was thus limited to building an artillery platform with a tower and a gate and four cannon embrasures. The ceiling was vaulted with trusses and the covering was a candle snuffer roof (with limestone foundations) and tested to be bomb-proof.Current state
The tower still stands and is completely preserved. It has been classed as a historical monument since 1948 and can be visited.
Port-en-Bessin
Port-en-Bessin
49° 20' 42" N, -0° 45' 14" E
Type
artillery tower
Engineers
Sébastien le Prestre de Vauban, Benjamin de Combes
Department
Calvados
Region
Normandie
Bibliography
- FAUCHERRE (N.), LECUILLIER (G.), La route des fortifications en Bretagne Normandie, Paris, 2006.
Text in english
Text in english