Fort du Randouillet
Encyclopedia
The Fort du Randouillet, is a fortification in the vicinity of Briançon
in the Dauphiné region of southeastern France
. Briançon was surveyed by Vauban
in 1700. His master plan for the defenses of the city would result in one of the most heavily fortified locales in France over the next forty years. Constructed to Vauban's plan between 1724 and 1734, the site was chosen to protect the lower Fort des Têtes
from an enemy on the heights. The position was used by the French Army in the defense of Briançon until 1940, when it was part of the Fortified Sector of the Dauphiné
.
The fort is composed of an armed citadel or donjon on the highest point, and a caserne on a lower shelf The Fort du Randouillet is linked to the Fort des Têtes by an enclosed, fortified gallery known as "Communication Y." A military aerial tram links the fort to the town, and another continued on to the Fort de l'Infernet
..
The Fort du Randouillet, along with the Fort des Têtes and other military works of Briançon, was designated a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2008, as part of a network of Vauban-related sites.
Briançon
Briançon a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department....
in the Dauphiné region of southeastern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Briançon was surveyed by Vauban
Vauban
Sébastien Le Prestre, Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban , commonly referred to as Vauban, was a Marshal of France and the foremost military engineer of his age, famed for his skill in both designing fortifications and breaking through them...
in 1700. His master plan for the defenses of the city would result in one of the most heavily fortified locales in France over the next forty years. Constructed to Vauban's plan between 1724 and 1734, the site was chosen to protect the lower Fort des Têtes
Fort des Têtes
The Fort des Têtes, also known as the Fort des Trois-Têtes, is a fortification in the vicinity of Briançon in the Dauphiné region of southeastern France. It was first surveyed by Vauban in 1700. In 1709 the Marshal Berwick established a fortified camp on the plateau, overlooking the valley of the...
from an enemy on the heights. The position was used by the French Army in the defense of Briançon until 1940, when it was part of the Fortified Sector of the Dauphiné
Fortified Sector of the Dauphiné
The Fortified Sector of the Dauphiné was the French military organization that in 1940 controlled the section of the Alpine Line portion of the Maginot Line facing Italy in the vicinity of Briançon...
.
The fort is composed of an armed citadel or donjon on the highest point, and a caserne on a lower shelf The Fort du Randouillet is linked to the Fort des Têtes by an enclosed, fortified gallery known as "Communication Y." A military aerial tram links the fort to the town, and another continued on to the Fort de l'Infernet
Fort de l'Infernet
The Fort de l'Infernet is a fortification complex near Briançon in the French Alps. It was built as part of the Séré de Rivières system of fortifications in 1876-78 to defend France against invasion from Italy. It specifically overlooks the valley of the Durance behind and the Fort du Gondran,...
..
The Fort du Randouillet, along with the Fort des Têtes and other military works of Briançon, was designated a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2008, as part of a network of Vauban-related sites.
External links
- Fort du Randouillet at Briançon Online
- Fort du Randouillet at Chemins de memoire