Stronghold of Mont Dauphin
In 1692, Victor-Amédée II invaded the Dauphiné and devastated the region. Following this intrusion, Vauban proposed to the king to improve the defense of the border of the Alps. He decided to create a stronghold (a fortification housing soldiers and a civilian population) which he named Mont-Dauphin to honor the Sun King’s son, Le Grand Dauphin, heir to the throne. To do so, he selected the plateau of Millaures, which is a strategic crossroads between the Dauphiné and Provence.
The construction of the stronghold began in 1693 with great haste, as the fear of a new attack remained. The enemy being in the North, the first fortifications were built there, the other sides were protected by a natural fortification formed by a steep rock. The military buildings and most of the fortifications were built in less than 10 years, as were half of the houses for civilians. The arsenal and gunpowder magazine were deliberately built near the Durance front, far from the northern front.
In 1713, with the signing of the Treaty of Utrecht, the Italian border was pushed back, and Mont-Dauphin lost its strategic dimension. The site became the second line of defense after the Ubaye and work progressed at a snail’s pace. The construction of the stronghold was completed in the 19th century. It has never been besieged and it never came under fire except in 1940, when an Italian plane destroyed part of the arsenal.
