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Origin and history

Fort Joubert, located in Saint-Vincent-les-Forts in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, is a military work designed by Vauban in 1692. It offers a four-level square-plan mâchicoulis dread, surrounded by a diamond-shaped bastioned enclosure with three scauguettes. The main entrance is located in the centre of the south-east courtyard, and a second door equipped with a heavy roof is open to the north. Inside, logistical elements such as a tank and officer accommodation are fitted out. The original project was modified by engineer Richerand as early as 1693, particularly in terms of the layout of the enclosure.

The fort was built in response to the destruction of the village of Saint Vincent by the Savoyards during the War of the League of Augsburg (1688-1697). In 1700 Vauban criticized the modifications made by Richerand, notably the escarpments and the burnings, and proposed a enclosure for the village, which would never be realized. A heavy tower, built in 1696 as a watchtower, remains today under the name of Vauban tower. The fort, completed in 1700, lost its strategic interest after the union of Ubaye with France in 1713 and was abandoned in the 18th century.

In the 19th century, as part of the Séré de Rivières system (1873), the fort was modernized: the dread was lowered in 1882-83, vaulted casemates were added, and the drawbridge was replaced by a tunnel. The site becomes a back seat of the Tournament lock, integrated with the Ubaye Defense Organization. In 1887 he was renamed Fort Joubert in tribute to General Joubert. In the 20th century, after decades of abandonment, the fort was classified as Historic Monument in 1994 and bought in 1997 by private owners. Since then, the Association des Amis du Fort Saint-Vincent has been working on its restoration, and the site has opened to the public during Heritage Days.

The Vauban tower, connected to the fort by a 300-metre wooden gallery, served as a watchtower to monitor the Lauzet road to Seyne-les-Alpes. Damaged by lightning in 1945, it was renovated in 2002. The fort, of irregular polygonal plan, combines a escarp enclosure, half-bastions, and logistic buildings. Its architecture reflects the successive adaptations, from Vauban's initial projects to the modifications of the 19th century.

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