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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Blaye's citadel is a 25 hectare fortified complex built between 1685 and 1689 by engineer François Ferry, under the direction of Vauban, to control the Gironde estuary. It includes medieval elements such as the Rudel Castle (XII century), the Liverpool Gate (XIII century) and the Eguillette Tower (XV century). The medieval city is largely destroyed to give way to this semicircular complex, including barracks, convent of Minimes and place of arms.

Designed as a strategic lock with forts Paté and Médoc, the citadel played a key role in the 1814 British siege and served as a political prison (notably for the Duchess of Berry in 1832-1833). Classified as a historic monument in 2009 and registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, it now houses housing, workshops and cultural events such as Blaye's Jumping International.

The Rudel Castle, the medieval heart of the site, was transformed into the governor's house in the 17th century. The Royal Gate (1685) and the Dauphine Gate (1689) illustrate Vauban's defensive ingenuity, with drawbridges, half moons and cross-fire systems. The convent of Minimes, the siege hospital (1739) and the handling (former prison) bear witness to daily life in the fortress.

Threatened by demolitions in the 1930s, the citadel was saved by a local mobilization. Its bastions, like that of the Fathers (1689), now house vineyards, while its basements preserve archaeological remains, including ardent chapels linked to the imprisonment of refractory priests in 1794.

The citadel is also a filming place, as for the film La Menace (1977) or the show Secrets d'Histoire (2020) on the Duchess of Berry. Its architecture, combining medieval heritage and bastioned innovations, makes it a major example of the Vaubanian heritage.

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