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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The citadel of Saint-Martin-de-Ré was built between 1681 and 1702 under the direction of François Ferry, with the agreement of Vauban, to strengthen the defence of the island of Ré after the siege of La Rochelle (1628). This perfect square, accessible by a single monumental door, housed barracks, a chapel and an arsenal designed for 1,200 men. It illustrates the first system of island fortifications in Vauban and was listed as a historical monument in 1984, then as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008.

Between 1873 and 1938, the citadel served as a central repository for those sentenced to forced labour before their departure to the bays of Guyana or New Caledonia. Up to 1,000 prisoners were piled in precarious conditions, despite a planned capacity of 500. Figures such as Alfred Dreyfus or Henri Carrière (Papillon) passed there. The prisoners were subjected to perilous crossings from the continent, as evidenced by a 1929 account of their arrival soaked and weathered by the storm.

After the abolition of transportation in 1938, the citadel became a central house, still active today with more than 400 inmates. In 1958, she welcomed Algerian prisoners. With 485 places, it is the largest central house in France, employing 285 prison officers, the first employer on the island. Its unurbanized glacis and undergrounds make it a rare example of integral conservation.

A first citadel, built in 1625, was destroyed in 1628 after an English siege. The current plans, inspired by Vauban, incorporate bastions at the corners, a half moon in front of each front, and a small cut-off port. The front door, known as Montluc, has a doric style with carved pediment. The chapel, located behind the east side, presents a doric door with circular pediment.

The citadel also embodies a place of prison memory. The forces spent two weeks there in improved conditions (meat, wine, walks) before their journey to the colonies. A medical examination and vaccines (typhoid, smallpox) determined their initial suitability. This site, managed by the Bordeaux prison administration, now depends on the La Rochelle court.

His classification at UNESCO was supported by the association L-Etoile de Vauban, chaired by actor Charles Berling. The fortifications, entirely preserved with the exception of a few buildings, bear witness to the French military engineering of the 17th and 18th centuries, while playing a contemporary role in the prison system.

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