Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The artillery battery of En Tal, located on Île-d'Houat in Brittany, was built in the 3rd quarter of the 19th century, after the construction of the nearby fort in 1857. Its design required earth-moving work (scratching and emplacement) to protect the model 1846 guard body from enemy fire. The structure is distinguished by its squared star shoulder and its taluted envelope, both intact, without alteration since their construction. These adjustments reflect the military techniques of the time, aimed at optimizing coastal defence against maritime attacks.

The battery was listed in the Historic Monuments by order of 30 October 2000, recognizing its heritage value. The site, identified under the AH 2 cadastral reference, retains its architectural integrity, thanks in particular to the absence of denaturing of the guard corps and defensive structures. The GPS coordinates available place the monument near the Tal compound, on the town of Île-d'Houat (code Insee 56086), in the department of Morbihan. The accuracy of its location is estimated to be fair (note 5/10), according to the Merimée data.

No information is available on the specific architects, engineers or sponsors of the battery. The sources mention only its role in the Breton coastal defensive system of the 19th century, a period marked by the modernization of fortifications in the face of developments in naval artillery. The battery thus illustrates the adaptation of French military strategies after the Crimean War (1853-1856), although this conflict is not explicitly mentioned in the documents consulted.

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