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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The high citadel of Verdun was built in the seventeenth century according to the plans of John Errard after the capture of the city by Henry II in 1552. The works, slowed down by the Wars of Religion, resumed in 1624 under Louis XIII. Vauban improved fortifications from 1674, adding bastions, barracks and shops. After 1870, Verdun joined the Séré de Rivières system with 19 surrounding forts.

At the end of the 19th century, engineers Guinot and Rouillon de Gironville dug the underground citadel (4 km of galleries in 1914, 7 km in 1918). During the First World War, it housed up to 10,000 soldiers, serving as refuge, command post and logistics base. Its facilities include bakery, mill and telephone exchange.

On November 10, 1920, the citadel hosted the ceremony of choice of the Unknown Soldier, selected from eight coffins by Corporal Auguste Thin. The site, which was listed as a historical monument in 1929, became a major place of memory. Modernized in 2009, it now offers scenic tours.

The underground architecture, 16 m underground, includes five main galleries and dedicated spaces (powder shops, kitchens). A symbol of the Battle of Verdun (1916), it illustrates French military engineering and its role in the Great War.

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