Fort du Portalet
Encyclopedia
The Fort du Portalet is a fort in the Aspe
valley in Bearn
, French Pyrenees.
The present-day fort was begun in 1842 and finished in 1870, replacing earlier structure a little way north. The fort guards access to the Col du Somport. During WWII, the fort was occupied by the Germans and used as a prison. Its military use ceased in 1945. Abandoned, it was bought by the local authorities in 1999 who are in the process of restoring it.
Aspe
Aspe is a town and municipality located in the comarca of Vinalopó Mitjà, in the province of Alicante, Spain.The town is located in the valley of the river Vinalopó, 25 km from Alicante city...
valley in Bearn
Béarn
Béarn is one of the traditional provinces of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in southwest France. Along with the three Basque provinces of Soule, Lower Navarre, and Labourd, the principality of Bidache, as well as small parts of Gascony, it forms in the...
, French Pyrenees.
The present-day fort was begun in 1842 and finished in 1870, replacing earlier structure a little way north. The fort guards access to the Col du Somport. During WWII, the fort was occupied by the Germans and used as a prison. Its military use ceased in 1945. Abandoned, it was bought by the local authorities in 1999 who are in the process of restoring it.