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 established as a permanent fortification in the 1720s and was used by the French army until 1940. It is a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Fort des Têtes
Briançon, France
Fort des Têtes from the Croix de Toulouse
Fort des Têtes
Coordinates44.89528°N 6.65°E / 44.89528; 6.65
TypeFort
Site information
OwnerFrench Army
Controlled byFrance
ConditionPreserved
Site history
Built1721 (1721)

History

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 Durance from a height of 1,440 metres (4,720 ft). The position controlled the high valleys of Fontenil and Fontchristiane. A permanent bastioned triangular fort was built between 1721 and 1723 to designs by Tardif and Nègre.[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]

Description

The fort is connected to the main town by the Pont d'Asfeld, designed by Vauban. The fort has three principal frontages and a lower fort covering the approaches. The garrison comprised about 1,250 men serving 70 artillery pieces. The Fort des Trois-Têtes is linked to the nearby Fort du Randouillet by an enclosed, fortified gallery known as "Communication Y".[3] In the 1880s two ammunition magazines were excavated, one within the rock, the other trenched and covered with earth.[4]

World Heritage Site

The Fort des Têtes, along with Communication Y, the Fort du Randouillet and other military works of Briançon, was designated a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2008, as part of a network of Vauban-related sites.[5]

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References
  1. "Le fort des Têtes, Briançon ( 05 )" (in French). Chemins de Memoire. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
  2. 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.
  3. "Le Fort des Tetes". Le patrimoine fortifie de Briancon. Ville de Briancon. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
  4. Puelinckx, Jean; Aublet, Jean-Louis; Mainguin, Sylvie (2010). "Têtes (fort es Trois)". Index de la fortification française 1874–1914 (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
  5. "Fortifications of Vauban". World Heritage. UNESCO.
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