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Former fortifications of the High Town à Briançon dans les Hautes-Alpes

Hautes-Alpes

Former fortifications of the High Town

    1918 Porte d'Embrun
    05100 Briançon
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Anciennes fortifications de la Ville Haute
Crédit photo : Alessio Sbarbaro - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1800
1900
2000
4e quart XVIIe siècle - 1er quart XVIIIe siècle
Construction of fortifications
18 juin 1987
First protection
13 août 1990
Complete classification
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

Covered path and works east of the gate of Pignerol, towards the castle; Part of the rampart is bordering Parcel AO 56 (Box AP 243): inscription by order of 18 June 1987 - Porte Pignerol, its dovecote and its path; Dauphine door; Embrun door and its path; Southern powder keg called Cordeliers and its enclosure; door of the Durance; Bell tower of the Serre Sound and its guard body; round road, covered road, works located east of the Pignerol gate towards the castle; powder magazine is and its enclosure, as well as the casemates and the rampart; part of the rampart is bordering the parcel AP 44 (Box AP 1, 2, 73, 242, 279; AO 56): classification by order of 13 August 1990

Key figures

Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban - Military engineer Manufacturer of Briançon fortifications.

Origin and history

The old fortifications of the Haute de Briançon city date from the 4th quarter of the 17th century and the 1st quarter of the 18th century. They are a remarkable example of the military architecture of this period, marked by Vauban's strategic innovations. These fortifications, located in the Hautes-Alpes, included elements such as fortified gates, ramparts, pedriers and covered roads, designed to strengthen the city's defence in a tense geopolitical context.

The site was the subject of successive protections: a first entry by order of 18 June 1987 for certain elements such as the covered road and works near the door of Pignerol, followed by a wider classification on 13 August 1990. This classification includes major elements such as the Pignerol gate, the Dauphine gate, the Cordeliers powderbox, and several sections of ramparts and casemates. These measures reflect the heritage importance of the site, linked to the military engineer Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, Marquis and central figure of the French fortification under Louis XIV.

The location of the fortifications in Briançon in the Hautes-Alpes is specified by approximate GPS coordinates (46 Avenue de la Libération), although the accuracy of this location is considered fair (note of 5/10). The monument is now shared between several owners: the department, the commune, and a communal public establishment. Its state of conservation and accessibility make it a key testimony to the military history of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, integrated into an urban landscape marked by its strategic past.

External links