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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The citadel of Arras, nicknamed "the beautiful useless", was built between 1668 and 1672 by Vauban to strengthen the defense of Arras in the framework of its pre-square. Five locations were considered before choosing a right angle between the city and the city. Although never attacked, she played a strategic role in the second French defence line. Its ramparts, partially destroyed late, left an unformed esplanade, and its undergrounds served as prison as early as 1715.

In 1830, the temple of the citadel, delabrated, was transformed into a store. The site became a tragic place during the Second World War: between August 1941 and July 1944, 218 resistors of 9 nationalities were shot there by the German occupant. Their names, engraved on the Wall of Shots inaugurated in 1949, make it a major memorial. The inauguration, marked by political tensions, opposed communists and socialists around the mention of militant commitments on commemorative plaques.

Ranked a historic monument in 1920 and in 2012 as a whole, the citadel was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 as one of the fortifications of Vauban. Demilitarized in 2010, it now houses leisure, housing and economic hubs, while hosting events such as the Main Square Festival. Its 17th century arsenal, Royal Gate and Chapel bear witness to its architectural heritage.

The citadel ditches also contain cinematic traces: scenes from the film La Liste de mes envies (2014) were shot there. The site remains a symbol of resistance and repression, with figures like Julien Hapiot, shot in 1943 for his role in the miner strike of 1941.

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