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 1692. 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.[1] 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.[2]
| Fort du Randouillet | |
|---|---|
| Briançon, France | |
 Fort du Randouillet | |
  Fort du Randouillet | |
| Coordinates | 44°53′20″N 6°39′11″E / 44.88881°N 6.65292°E |
| Type | Fort |
| Site information | |
| Owner | French Army |
| Controlled by | France |
| Open to the public | No |
| Condition | Preserved |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1724 |
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.[3][4]
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 in testimony to Vauban's influence on military architecture and engineering.[5]
References edit
- ^ "Le fort des Têtes, Briançon ( 05 )" (in French). Chemins de Memoire. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
- ^ Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques (2009). Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 5 (in French). Histoire & Collections. pp. 22–23. ISBN 978-2-35250-127-5.
- ^ "Le Fort du Randouillet". Le patrimoine fortifie de Briancon. Ville de Briancon. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
- ^ "Le fort de l'Infernet (05)". Chemins de memoire. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
- ^ "Fortifications of Vauban". World Heritage. UNESCO.
External links edit
- Fort du Randouillet at Briançon Online (in French)
- Fort du Randouillet at Chemins de memoire (in French)