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Origin and history

Fort Barraux, located in the commune of Barraux en Isère, is one of the oldest strongholds in the Alps still preserved. Its construction began on 24 August 1597 under the impulse of the Duke of Savoie Charles-Emmanuel I, in order to control access to Chambéry after the Savoyard defeat against the French troops of Lesdiguières in 1591. Although illegally built on French land, the fort was completed in 1598 before being taken over by Lesdiguières through a ploy. This strategic site, designed by Piedmontese architect Ercole Negro, underwent major modifications in the 17th century by Raymond Bonnefonds and Jean de Beins, then a redesign by Vauban between 1692 and 1698.

Over the centuries, Fort Barraux alternates between military and prison functions. During the French Revolution, he served as a prison, welcoming Barnave in 1793. Under the Vichy regime (1940-1944), it became a supervised residence centre for political internees, common rights, Jews in transit, and resistors. More than 4,000 people were detained there, some deported to Drancy or Auschwitz. After 1945, the fort was home to German prisoners and then suspects of collaboration. Disused in 1985, it is classified as a historical monument in 1990 and is open to the public for visits, cultural events and filming.

The fort houses notable historical remains, such as a 48-metre well, graffiti of 19th and 20th century prisoners, and a 17th-century gallows used for military convictions. A 1693 relief plan, exposed to the Invalides in Paris, bears witness to its military architecture. The site, owned by the commune, today hosts historical weddings, concerts and reconstructions, while preserving the memory of its past uses, from Franco-Savoyard wars to the internments of the Second World War.

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