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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Barry de la Bâtie, also known as Mur des Vaudois, is a fortification located 450 m south of the hamlet of Bâtie-des-Vigneaux, on the commune of Vigneaux (Hautes-Alpes). This monument was part of a complex defensive system barring the Durance and Gyonde valleys. It was a creneled wall of about 300 m long, 8-9 m high and 1.50 m thick, completed by three round towers spaced 33 m long and 11 m high on average. The wall set off from the Durance to reach the escarpments of the Gyonde, thus controlling the path between the Argentière-la-Bessée and Briançon.

The examination of building materials and techniques suggests an origin in the late 13th or early 14th century, although an earlier fortification, perhaps initiated by the Vienna dolphins as early as the 12th century, is not excluded. The site is certified as Fortificatio Bastide in an act of 1319. This defensive system, including the nearby Rostan Pertuis, marked the border between the Briançonnais and the Emprunais, with a customs function proven as early as 1365 for the control of goods coming from Italy.

Today, nothing remains but remains, but the Barry de la Bâtie remains a major testimony of medieval military and border strategies in the Alps. The monument was classified as historic monuments on 13 October 1988, recognizing its heritage importance. Its current state makes it possible to imagine the extent of this work designed to control access and protect the Dauphinian territories.

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