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Origin and history

The Platte Blockhouse, nicknamed "Fort 2000" because of its altitude, was built between 1893 and 1896 as part of the Séré de Rivières defensive system. It is part of an Alpine fortification strategy aimed at countering the Italian threat after the accession of the Kingdom of Italy to the Triple in 1882. This fort, triangular in shape with four bastionnets, housed four 80 mm guns and a garrison of about a hundred men. It was used to protect the lower structures (battery of Vulmix and fort du Truc) and to lock access to the pass of Petit-Saint-Bernard.

Designed as a "second generation" monitoring work of the Séré de Rivières system, the fort combines traditional elements (central blockhouse, enclosure wall) and innovations (grills to evacuate snow melt, concrete artillery platforms). Its defensive device includes a rounded reducer, murderers and an assemblage system above the entrance. During the inter-war period, it was integrated into the fortified Savoy sector in the Maginot line, serving as an observatory and support point.

After World War II, the fort lost its military use and became private property in the 1960s. Turned into a cheese factory (producing beaufort and a goat cheese named "fortin"), it now houses a high altitude apiary. Listed as a historic monument in July 2024, it is partially accessible during Heritage Days, on reservation. Its ongoing restoration highlights its hybrid architecture, between traditional fortification and mountain adaptations.

The fort is integrated into a wider defensive network in Tarentaise, including the battery of Vulmix (1,050 m), fort du Truc (1,551 m), and fort de la Redoute Ruinée, all designed to control the road of the Petit-Saint-Bernard pass and the valley of Aosta. On the left bank of Isère, four batteries (Courbaton, Leuchelet, Les Têtes) completed the device in 1913-1914, armed with 120 mm guns to cover the ravines and secondary accesses.

The building illustrates the evolution of the French Alpine fortifications at the end of the 19th century, marked by the adoption of concrete, the uplifting of defences (valley/ban/surveillance), and adaptation to mountain constraints. Despite its relative modernity, it played only a minor role in subsequent conflicts, due to its isolation and the evolution of military strategies. Its architecture, inspired by the polygonal forts, makes it a rare testimony of the transitions between generations of Séré River fortifications.

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