Construction of dread 1689 (≈ 1689)
Edited among 15 dreaded Cotentin.
4e quart XVIIe siècle
Construction period
Construction period 4e quart XVIIe siècle (≈ 1787)
During the reign of Louis XIV.
23 juin 1992
Registration for historical monuments
Registration for historical monuments 23 juin 1992 (≈ 1992)
Protecting the dread and its ditches.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Redout, including its ditches, with the exception of the house of dwelling (cases A 115 to 117): inscription by order of 23 June 1992
Key figures
Vauban - Military engineer
Designed 15 dreaded Cotentin.
Louis XIV - King of France
Reigns during construction.
Origin and history
The Audouville dread is a military building built in the last quarter of the seventeenth century under the reign of Louis XIV. Located in the commune of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont dans la Manche, it was part of a defensive system designed to prevent English landings on the coasts of Cotentin. This earth fortification, surrounded by water ditches, illustrates the military strategies of the Old Regime to secure vulnerable coastal areas.
The dread was included in historical monuments by order of 23 June 1992, covering the whole structure, including its ditches, with the exception of a later dwelling house. It is one of the 15 dreaded built in 1689 on the east coast of Cotentin, attributed to Vauban, a famous military engineer of the time. Its state of conservation makes it a rare testimony of the coastal fortifications of this period.
Located at La Redoute, at 5237 La Redoute, 50480 Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, it is today an accessible vestige, although its current use (visit, rental) is not specified in the sources. Water ditches, a characteristic element, highlight its historic role in disincentive and control of maritime access. Its designation as historic monuments in 1992 confirms its heritage importance for the Normandy region and the Department of the English Channel.
