Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

Fort des Rousses, renamed Fort General Henry Martin in 1984, is an imposing military ensemble built under the Second Empire. Located at 1,150 meters above sea level in the commune of Rousses (Jura), it extends over 21 hectares, with more than 50,000 m2 of vaulted rooms and kilometres of galleries. Built of local limestone and covered with soil to resist the bombardment, it comprises three main buildings (Cavalier, Quitry, Saint-Germain) and two entrance doors: the French gate to the north and the Swiss gate to the east, protected by a drawbridge. No natural source feeds its tanks, filled only with rainwater and snowmelt.

Construction began in 1843, after the acquisition of 93 hectares of land in 1841, in response to fears of an Austrian invasion via neutral Switzerland. Colonel Christin had already built five dreads in 1815 to secure this strategic border. The work, marked with the inscription "1848" on the porch, ended around 1862-1863. With 88 pieces of artillery and a garrison of 3,500 men from 1868, the fort quickly became obsolete with the evolution of armaments and was classified in 1899 as a third class work, resulting in the cessation of planned developments.

The fort was used intensively until 1919 and was reactivated in 1939-1940 to house 73rd Regional Regiment companies, a military ski school, and serve as a command post. After World War II, it became a commando training centre until 1997. Purchased by the municipality, it is now partly dedicated to the refining of cheeses (75 000 county milles) by the Arnaud Frères Cheeseries, as well as to tourist, sports and cultural activities, fully integrating into local life.

Future

The Arnaud cheese factory has huge refining halls in vaulted cellars, which display a temperature of 8 °C in summer and winter. More than 75,000 county wheels are refined. It also serves as a framework for adventure and underground exploration.

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