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Origin and history

The castle of the Ha, also called fort of the Ha, was built in Bordeaux by order of King Charles VII after the takeover of the city to the English in 1453, marking the end of the Hundred Years War. Designed as a defensive fortress "to keep the Bordelais under control", its construction began in 1456 under the supervision of architects like Jean des Vignes or potentially Mathieu de Fortune. The Bureau brothers, Jean and Gaspard, monitored the works, while the city, punished for its rallying with the English, financed the building. The fortress soon became a symbol of royal authority, sheltering garrison and ducal residences, like that of Charles de Valois, Duke of Guyenne, who died there in 1472.

In the 16th century, the Hâ castle played a key role during the wars of Religion and political unrest. In 1572 he served as a refuge for Protestants after the Saint Barthélemy, and in 1593 was taken by the Marshal of Matignon to prevent an alliance between the League and Spain. Henry IV, fearing his use by the Ligueurs, ordered his demolition in 1604 before returning to his decision. Under Louis XIV, Vauban proposed fortifications there in 1680, but the site gradually lost its military role. In the 18th century it was partially transformed into a civil prison, even welcoming Emperor Joseph II in 1777.

The French Revolution marked a turning point for the fort of Ha, converted into a state prison under the Terror. Figures such as mayor François-Armand de Saige or lawyer Pierre Bernadau were imprisoned there before their execution. The journalist Romain Duperier de Larsan wrote The Revolutionary Verroux during his detention. In the 19th century, architect Joseph-Adolphe Thiac, whose father had been imprisoned there, demolished much of the fort in 1835 to build the courthouse and a modern prison, preserving only the towers of the Minimes and the English. The latter, classified in 1965, were integrated into the National School of the Judiciary opened in 1972.

In the 20th century, the fort of the Ha became a place of capital executions (until 1960) and a political prison under the German occupation, holding resistant like Andrée De Jongh or personalities like Edward Daladier. After 1945, it will still house famous prisoners, including Marie Besnard, before its closure in 1967. Today, the site, renovated by architect Richard Rogers in 1998, combines medieval heritage with modern judicial institutions, while plaques commemorate the victims of the Resistance and the Shoah.

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