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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Angoulême bastion is an emblematic example of military architecture in the late 16th and 17th centuries. Commanded by the Duke of Epernon after an attack against him, this monument was designed to strengthen the defences of the existing castle. The work will include the construction of a new enclosure, with prominent castate bastions, particularly visible on the southern flank. These structures, inspired by the defensive principles that prefigure Vauban's, reflect the military innovations of the time, combining robustness and geometrical strategy.

The bastions were supplemented by scalds of cut stone, with spherical caps, positioned at the angles of the salients. These architectural elements, both functional and aesthetic, demonstrate a desire to modernise the fortifications of Angoulême according to Renaissance military art standards. The southern bastion, dated the seventeenth century, was inscribed in the Historical Monuments by order of May 15, 1925, recognizing its heritage and historical value.

The location of the bastion, rue de Bélat, in the centre of Angoulême, highlights its integration into the urban fabric of the period. Although the available sources do not specify its current state of openness to the public, its listing as Historic Monuments guarantees its preservation. The construction techniques used, such as the use of cutting stone and casemate design, illustrate the know-how of the military engineers of the time, marking a transition to the bastioned fortifications systematized later by Vauban.

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