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Fort Dauphin, located in Briançon, Hautes-Alpes, is an advanced military post designed to monitor the Vallon du Fontenil and protect the forts of the Heads and Randouillet. With the fort des Salettes, he locked the road to Italy, occupying a strategic flat at 1,440 m above sea level, within the cannon range of other structures. Its position, at the foot of the Infernet ridge, made it a key point for the defence of the Alpine border from the early eighteenth century.

The original project dates back to 1711 with a "projected dread" on the plans of engineer Tardif, but its realization was interrupted by the end of the Spanish Succession War (1713) and the death of Louis XIV. Between 1724 and 1734, the modified route of the border revived the work, transforming the mere dread into a strong stronghold completed around 1734. He was named fort Dauphin in 1729 in honour of the birth of Louis, son of Louis XV and future father of Louis XVI. Renamed Fort Lutin in 1793, he underwent few changes, except for the addition of a powder shop between 1874 and 1877.

Designed as a shield for the Fort des Têtes, Fort Dauphin is a trapezoidal fortification surrounded by a ditch with counterscarp and covered path. Its south access, marked by a wooden gate surmounted by a triangular pediment, leads to a vaulted barracks with bombardments, equipped with a tank and murderers. Ranked a historical monument in 2007, it illustrates Vauban's military architecture, although its relevance declined after 1858 with the evolution of striped artillery.

The fort is part of Briançon's defensive system, imagined after the Savoyard invasion of 1692. Vauban, although quoted as a prime contractor in the sources, did not directly supervise its construction, begun a quarter of a century after its death (1707). Its role was to control the northern outskirts of the city, in addition to the other forts of the region. Today, it reflects the military strategies of the 18th and 19th centuries in the Alps.

The location of the fort, 500 m from the fort of the Three Heads and at the same altitude, allowed effective defensive coordination. Its bastioned plan and interior fittings (kitchens, stairs, vaulted rooms) reflect the standards of the time to resist the seats. Despite its gradual obsolescence in the face of technical progress, there remains a remarkable example of pre-modern military engineering in the mountains.

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