Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

La Bayarde fort, built in 1896 near Carqueiranne, is part of the defensive system of the Toulon harbour, designed to counter enemy landings. Positioned at the east end of the seafront, it dominates the bay with a view of Giens and the islands of Hyères. Designed by the master of engineering Villecler, it housed three 270 mm mortars, capable of firing projectiles from 200 kg to 6,800 meters, with an angle of -7° to +60°.

Owned by the National Navy until 1988, the fort was later ceded to the town of Carqueiranne. Its battery, located away from shore to optimize the trajectory of vertical fire, was designed to prevent the anchorage of enemy ships in the western part of the Giens harbour. The mortars, model 1889 on Vavasseur-Canet, had a stock of 225 shots, with a firing rate every four minutes.

Today, the site hosts a theatre festival in August, but its access is restricted due to security problems (fires, roads, emergency exits). The departmental commission refused to reopen to the public, despite its cultural potential. Two other strong neighbours, La Gavresse and La Colle Noire, complete this historic defensive device.

The fort illustrates the evolution of coastal military strategies at the end of the 19th century, combining technological innovation (long-range morters) and landscape integration. His abandonment by the army in 1988 marked the end of his operational role, opening a new heritage and cultural page for Carqueiranne.

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