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Origin and history

The fort of the Sept-Îles, located on the island of the Monks in the archipelago of the Sept-Îles off Perros-Guirec (British), was commanded in 1694 by Louis XIV to counter pirates using the archipelago as a refuge. Designed by Simeon Garangeau, a student of Vauban and engineer of the fortifications of Saint-Malo, the initial project (plans of 1718 and 1739) was not realized until 1740, under the direction of Garangeau and completed in 1746 by Jean-Baptiste Joseph Parrocel. The fort includes a pentagonal dread, artillery batteries, a barracks, a powder shop, and trenches, forming a "safe island" to monitor anchorages and protect allied ships.

The garrison, originally composed of 27 disabled soldiers from Saint-Malo in 1740, suffered from precarious conditions (lack of bread, absence of a doctor or chaplain), as evidenced by their letters to the intendant of Brittany. Reinforced in 1745 by sailors and gunners, it reached 72 men during the Seven Years' War (1756-1763), equipped with 20 cannons (16 and 5 pounds) and rifles. Supply was provided by local merchants such as Pidancet, while engineer Mazin proposed to set up gardens and herds on nearby islands. The fort, occupied until 1873, was partially destroyed by the Germans in 1944 during World War II.

Ranked as a historical monument since 1975 (renewed in 2024), the site includes the vaulted dread, the Cosmoguer battery, five other batteries, cutouts, and a defensive barracks with access hold. Owned by the Conservatoire du littoral, it has been integrated into a nature reserve since 1912. The remains illustrate military adaptation to the maritime threats of the eighteenth century, combining Vaubanian architecture and local innovations. Erosion and conflict have altered some structures, such as the northwest battery, which is now ruiniform.

The island of Les Moines, connected to Perros-Guirec by seasonal sea links, also served as a surveillance post during the Second World War. A cannon of 18 books was placed there in 2006 as a memorial. The archives reveal the logistical challenges of the garrison (alcoholism, quarrels, isolation), as well as its strategic role in the Franco-English tensions, particularly against the corsairs of Jersey and Guernsey. The fort symbolizes the coastal defence effort under the Old Regime, combining military engineering and island life.

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