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Origin and history

The doullens citadel, located in the Somme (Hauts-de-France), is a masterpiece of 16th-17th century military architecture, prior to Vauban's achievements. Built in sandstone under Francis I (1530) to protect the border against Spanish Artois, it was reinforced by Henry IV in 1599 with three brick bastions designed by Jean Errard. Its strategic role declined after Artois joined France in 1659 (Treaty of the Pyrenees), transforming it into a state prison.

In the 19th century, the citadel became a place of detention for political figures such as Blanqui, Barbès and Proudhon. During the First World War, it housed a Canadian military hospital bombed in 1918, causing 32 deaths. During the Second World War, it served as Frontstalag for allied prisoners (1940), then as a French internment camp (1941–1943) and as a German headquarters with blockhaus. In 1944, it held 2,500 deportees from Buchenwald before becoming a FFI garrison.

After 1945, the citadel welcomed harkis in unworthy conditions (1962), recognized by a law of reparation in 2022. Disused in 1965, it was restored from 1973 by volunteers and managed by Somme Patrimoine since 2018. Today, the site combines historical visits (counter-mine galleries, prisons), cultural events (multi-period festival) and sports (VTT, moto-cross), while honouring its memory, such as Albertine Sarrazin's escape in 1957, immortalized in Astragale.

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