The fort, accessible from the Champ de Mars, was envisaged by Vauban as early as 1692 to occupy a flat area of land that dangerously dominated the town. Its construction, from 1709 onwards, was guided by the plans drawn up during his lifetime. The fort was extended between 1845 and 1850.
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In his first project, Vauban proposed the creation of a redoubt with machicolations on the Poët mountain. The work was intended to prevent the enemy from seizing this position, which had an important command over the town and the castle. It is highly likely that Vauban took up a proposal from the engineer Delabat, dating from January 1692. In February 1704, he complained that the work had not yet begun. It was not until 1709, two years after Vauban's death, that work began under the direction of the engineer Tardif, and continued until 1712.
The fort is made up of a square tower-reduit (or redoubt) with canted sides. It is surrounded by a ditch and a counterscarp gallery with reverse fire pierced by gun battlements. The aim is to expose the enemies who have entered the ditch to the crossfire from the tower and the gallery. The originality of this work lies in the fact that access to the gallery can only be gained through an underground passageway leading from the tower and therefore not easily accessible to enemy soldiers. The tower could house about a hundred soldiers and must have contained everything necessary for their survival. It has two levels. The first level has four rooms: two rooms, which originally formed one room called the barracks, a bakery with an oven and a guardhouse. A small powder store and a water tank complete the ensemble.
The second level has two vaulted rooms with gun battlements and gun embrasures.
Modernisation work on the fort in the 19th century led to the relocation of the tower door. It used to open on the second floor and has been lowered to the level of the moat. It is protected by a small pit (saut du loup or ha-ha) and a drawbridge.
Under the July Monarchy, between 1848 and 1854, this redoubt was transformed into a real fort by the addition of a bastioned envelope, six casemates of the Haxo type (the French military engineer and general of the Revolution and the Empire who developed them) and a powder magazine with a capacity of 14 tons.
The tower, originally covered with a pyramidal roof, was reinforced by a terraced roof to absorb projectiles. It is also better equipped with artillery.
The care taken in the construction, particularly the ashlar work, is noteworthy. The door of the redoubt is adorned with a classical decoration composed of two pilasters and a cornice.
On the entablature, a sentence in Latin appeals to the courage of the soldiers:
"Who would dare to fight with me".
An inscription engraved in stone and the memory of royal coats of arms adorn a corner of the tower.
The fort belongs to the town of Briançon and is one of the works inscribed on the list of World Heritage Sites for the works of Vauban.
The fort is made up of a square tower-reduit (or redoubt) with canted sides. It is surrounded by a ditch and a counterscarp gallery with reverse fire pierced by gun battlements. The aim is to expose the enemies who have entered the ditch to the crossfire from the tower and the gallery. The originality of this work lies in the fact that access to the gallery can only be gained through an underground passageway leading from the tower and therefore not easily accessible to enemy soldiers. The tower could house about a hundred soldiers and must have contained everything necessary for their survival. It has two levels. The first level has four rooms: two rooms, which originally formed one room called the barracks, a bakery with an oven and a guardhouse. A small powder store and a water tank complete the ensemble.
The second level has two vaulted rooms with gun battlements and gun embrasures.
Modernisation work on the fort in the 19th century led to the relocation of the tower door. It used to open on the second floor and has been lowered to the level of the moat. It is protected by a small pit (saut du loup or ha-ha) and a drawbridge.
Under the July Monarchy, between 1848 and 1854, this redoubt was transformed into a real fort by the addition of a bastioned envelope, six casemates of the Haxo type (the French military engineer and general of the Revolution and the Empire who developed them) and a powder magazine with a capacity of 14 tons.
The tower, originally covered with a pyramidal roof, was reinforced by a terraced roof to absorb projectiles. It is also better equipped with artillery.
The care taken in the construction, particularly the ashlar work, is noteworthy. The door of the redoubt is adorned with a classical decoration composed of two pilasters and a cornice.
On the entablature, a sentence in Latin appeals to the courage of the soldiers:
"Who would dare to fight with me".
An inscription engraved in stone and the memory of royal coats of arms adorn a corner of the tower.
The fort belongs to the town of Briançon and is one of the works inscribed on the list of World Heritage Sites for the works of Vauban.
In his first project, Vauban proposed the creation of a redoubt with machicolations on the Poët mountain. The work was intended to prevent the enemy from seizing this position, which had an important command over the town and the castle. It is highly likely that Vauban took up a proposal from the engineer Delabat, dating from January 1692. In February 1704, he complained that the work had not yet begun. It was not until 1709, two years after Vauban's death, that work began under the...
Services
Services
Not accessible in a wheelchair
Location
Location
Environment
Environment
- Town outskirts
Access
Access
- The fort can only be reached on foot. From the Champ de Mars car park, take the Chemin des Salettes. At the end of the tarmac road, take the dirt track on the right and follow it to the fort. The climb takes about 20 minutes. Bring shoes suitable for mountain walking and water if necessary.
