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Origin and history

The Rostan Pertuis is a mountain parade of Dauphiné, built in defensive system between the 13th and 14th centuries. Located north of L'Argentière-la-Bessée (Hautes-Alpes), it consists of three parallel corridors dug in a rocky wall barring the left bank of the Durance. The central corridor, 50 m long, was closed as early as 1365 by a door materializing the customs border for goods from Italy. The other two wider corridors offered alternative access, one of which was taken by the old national road 94.

The site was integrated into a larger defensive network, including the Barri wall on the left bank of the Durance and the Vaudois Wall on the right bank, near the Vigneaux. The latter, 300 m long, was a crenelated wall of 8 to 9 m high, flanked by three round towers. Although the exact date of construction remains uncertain, the analyses suggest an origin between the late 13th and early 14th century, with possible fortifications from the 12th century under the dolphins of Vienna. Rostan Pertuis has always marked the boundary between the Briançonnais and the Embrunes.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 1988, the Rostan Pertuis bears witness to the region's strategic and commercial challenges. Its name appears in an act of 1319 under the name Fortificatio Bastide, confirming its key role in controlling trade between France and Italy. The current, albeit partial, remains illustrate the ingenuity of medieval developments to secure the mountainous passages.

Historical sources, such as the Annals of the Alps or the newsletters of the Société d'études des Hautes-Alpes, underline the importance of this site. Excavations and studies, including those of Joseph Vollaire or J. Roman, documented his evolution and integration into the regional defensive landscape. Today, the Road to the Old Gate remains a remarkable example of medieval military architecture adapted to an Alpine environment.

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