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The Bayonnette dread is a military fortification located in Urrugne, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, in New Aquitaine. Built between the 4th quarter of the 18th century and the 1st quarter of the 19th century, it is part of a network of more than twenty dreads erected on the heights of the Rhune to defend the Franco-Spanish border. These works, often in the form of stars or polygonals, were used in revolutionary conflicts (1793-1794) and Napoleonic wars (1813), in particular to counter Spanish offensives then Anglo-Hispano-Portuguese.

The Bayonnette dread, perched at 560 metres above sea level on the Mendalé, dominates the Spanish village of Vera de Bidassoa. His name came from a fierce battle with bayonet delivered on 24 July 1794 by French troops to take up the Spanish position. In 1813 it was rearranged and defended by the 9th Light Battalion before falling under the assaults of the Allies during Marshal Wellington's campaign. Its irregular plan embraces relief to optimize flanking shots, with a 350-metre parapet surrounded by a ditch.

This dread is part of a broader defensive system, including works such as those of the Emigrants, Louis XIV or Santa Barbara. These fortifications, often summary and adapted to topography, served as refuges for infantrymen and support points for artillery. Their role was crucial in the battles of 1793-1794, where revolutionary forces, led by figures such as Theophile de La Tour d'Auvergne, repulsed the Spanish. In 1813, despite heroic resistance, the dreads fell under the blows of the coalitions, marking the retreat of French troops towards Bayonne.

The Bayonnette dread, classified as a historic monument in 1992, illustrates the military architecture of the time, mixing dry stones and ditches. Its history reflects the strategic stakes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, the scene of struggles for the control of passes and access routes between France and Spain. Today, it bears witness to the sacrifices of the soldiers and the ingenuity of the military engineers of the Revolution and the Empire.

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