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Replacements from Vauban to Besançon dans le Doubs

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine urbain
Patrimoine défensif
Fortification de Vauban
Doubs

Replacements from Vauban to Besançon

    Quai Vauban
    25000 Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Remparts de Vauban à Besançon
Crédit photo : JGS25 - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1700
1800
1900
2000
1668
First French conquest
1674
Besançon Final Conquest
1675–1683
Construction of ramparts
1691
Construction of the Notre-Dame gate
1776
Destruction of the Arc of Triumph
1942
First classification Historic Monument
2019
Registration of the urban enclosure
2025
New classification of remains
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

Remparts de Vauban (old) as delimited on the plan annexed to the decree: classification by decree of 28 October 1942; The following parts of the urban enclosure: the buried remains of the counterscarp of the bastioned tower of Rivotte located on Parcel 58 (section DK), the remains of the rampart, even those buried, between the bastioned tower of the Rivotte and the bastioned tower of Brégille, located on Parcel No. 11 (section AK), the part of the rampart between the bastion of the mill Saint-Paul and the remains of the bastioned tower of Saint-Pierre, located on Parcel No. 22 (section CX), on Parcel No. 16 and 67 (section AH), the remains of the bastioned tower of Saint-Pierre, located on Parcel No. 29 (section AE), the buried remains of the bezel of Bregille, located on Parcel No. 109 (section CX), the corps de guard est de Chamars du XVIIIe siècle, situé 2 avenue de la Gare d The following parts of the urban enclosure, as legended on the plane annexed to the decree: On the left bank of the Doubs: The round road extending from the gate of Rivotte to the street of the Fusillés of the Resistance, located suburb Rivotte, on Parcel No. 42a and No. 42b, appearing in the cadastre, section DK; the buried remains of the counterscarp of the bastioned tower of Rivotte and the ground, situated suburb Rivotte, in the suburbs of Parcel No. 75, appearing in the cadastre section AK, of Parcel No. 107, appearing in the cadastre section AK, of Parcel No. 109, appearing in the cadastre section DK, and of Parcel No. 110, appearing in the cadastre section DK, and under Arthur-Gaulard Avenue, on the non-cadastre public domain, appearing in the cadastre section DK; the remains of the rampart, even those buried, between the bastioned tower of Rivotte and the bastioned tower of Bregille, and the soil to the west of the remains of that rampart, located 12 Arthur-Gaulard Avenue, on Parcel No. 137 and in the depths of the said parcel, shown in the cadastre section AK, and in the public domain not cadastralized under Arthur-Gaulard Avenue, shown in the cadastre section AK; That part of the rampart situated at Arthur-Gaulard Avenue, on Parcel No. 89, shown in the cadastre section AH, and that parcel; the road of haulage situated on the public non-cadastre domain, shown in the cadastre section AH, below parcels No 16, No 67, and No 89 of that section of the cadastre, and on the public non-cadastre domain situated between the outlet of the street of the Republic and the bridge of the same name, shown in the cadastre at the boundary between sections AH and AE; the remains of the bastioned tower Saint-Pierre, located at Elisha-Cusenier Avenue, on Parcel No. 29, shown in the cadastre section AE; The derased ramparts and the buried remains of the old ramparts, extending from the remains of the bastioned tower of St Peter to the bastion of the Holy Spirit, partly on Parcel No. 29, shown in the cadastre section AE; partially buried under the entrance of the Denfert-Rochereau Bridge, a non-cadastre public domain, partly situated on Parcel No. 137, shown in the Cadastre section AE, as well as the haulage path located on the non-cadastre public domain, below Parcels No. 29 and No. 137 of the AE section of the cadastre; the bastion of the Holy Spirit, the casemate of the flank of Poitune, the casemate of the side of the Cordeliers, the rampart between the bastion of the Holy Spirit and the casemate of the side of the Cordeliers and its buried remains, as well as the road of haulage, located below this rampart, this bastion and these casemates, all located quai Vauban on the non-cadaster public domain, appearing in the cadastre sections AD and AW; the remains of casemate, located on rue Girod-de-Chantrans, shown on Parcel No. 1 in the cadastre section AV; the buried remains of the second line of ramparts and the ground of its former slope, situated on the public estate not cadastre, partly on the road of haulage, partly under Parcel No. 1 in the cadastre section AV, and partly on the public estate not cadastre, under the rue Girod-de-Chantrans, between Parcels Nos. 1 and 5, all of which appear in the cadastre section AV; the buried remains of the second line of the ramparts, the ground of their former slope and the remains of the Chamars bridge, situated partly below the avenue of 8-May-1945, between Parcel No. 8 of Section Av and Parcel No. 27 of Section AT, in the uncadastre public domain, partly under Parcel No. 27 of Section AT, and partly under the Geneviève-de-Gaulle-Anthonioz track, between Parcel No. 27 of Section AT, and Parcel No. 5a of Section AT; the west guard corps of Chamars, located on Parcel No. 27 in the cadastre section AT; the buried remains of the Notre Dame gate located at the entrance of Charles-Nodier Street on the Tarragnoz suburbs, on the non-cadastre public domain, sections AP and DM of the cadastre; the rampart, ditch and counterscarp between Charles-Nodier Street and Notre-Dame Tower, bearing the ascent to the Rue du Chapter, situated partially on the non-cadastre public domain, section AP of the cadastre and partly on Parcel No 19, shown in the cadastre section DM; On the right bank of the Doubs: the buried remains of the Bezel of Bregille and the ground of these remains, located under Parcels Nos. 121 and 221, and under the uncadastered public domain, at the intersection of the Avenues Édouard-Droz and Chardonnet and the exit from the Bridge of Bregille, shown in the Cadastre section CX; the south guard corps of the Gate of Arenes, located 11 rue Marulaz, on Parcel No. 159, shown in the Cadastre section AX: classification by order of 16 April 2025

Key figures

Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban - Military engineer Manufacturer of Besançon fortifications.
Louis XIV - King of France Initial sponsor of the work.
Louvois - Minister of War Vauban interlocutor for the project.
Le Michaud d'Arçon - Bisontin engineer Author of the glasses of Arçon (18th century).
Isaac Robelin - Engineer Head of dock buildings.

Origin and history

The ramparts of Vauban in Besançon are a defensive system designed in the 17th century to protect the city, then strategic near the French border. In 1668, after the first conquest of Besançon by Louis XIV, Vauban proposed to fortify Mont Saint-Étienne, despite the initial reservations of the king who preferred the site of Chaudanne. The work, interrupted by the temporary withdrawal of the French, resumed after the definitive conquest of 1674. Vauban applied his innovative principles, such as the two-storey bastioned towers (Rivotte, Bregille, Saint-Pierre), and modernized the medieval ramparts between 1675 and 1695. However, he refused to fortify the hills of Chaudanne and Bregille, judging their capture by the enemy too risky for the city.

The citadel, the heart of the device, is doubled by the front Saint-Étienne near the cathedral, while the city walls are reinforced by bastions and glasses (Chaprais, Charmont). Vauban also incorporates hydraulic innovations, such as the controlled flooding of the Chamars suburb in case of siege. Most of the work, costly, was completed in 1683, but the internal arrangements continued until 1711. At the same time, Vauban oversees the construction of barracks (Saint-Pierre, Saint-Jean) to house the 1,500-man garrison, while adapting the old medieval gates (Rivotte, Notre-Dame) to new military requirements.

In the 19th century, the ramparts underwent major changes related to urbanization: deconstruction of the triumphal arch of the Battant Gate (1776), removal of ditches (transformed into roads or parking lots), and demolition of several doors (Our Lady in 1894, Arenas in 1933). Despite these alterations, key elements are preserved, such as the Tower of Bregille (now a musical centre) or the Tower of Cordeliers (place of exhibitions). The ramparts are partially classified as Historical Monuments in 1942, with extensions in 2019 and 2025 for their buried remains. Today, the city of Besançon maintains it and makes certain towers available to associations or cultural activities.

On the right bank of the Doubs, Vauban strengthens the enclosure of Battant (1677–92) with four mumps bastions (Arène, Charmont, Griffon, Battant), adapted to the steep relief. Fort Griffon, conceived as an autonomous relief, illustrates his distrust of urban revolts. The doors (Battant, Charmont) are protected by half moons and caponnières, but many disappear in the 19th to 20th centuries to facilitate traffic. Only guard bodies and remains such as the half moon of Battant remain. The strong peripherals (Bregille, Chaudanne, Beauregard), built later (19th century), complete this device, although Vauban initially rejected their usefulness.

Vauban's legacy in Besançon thus combines military innovation (bastioned towers, flood control) and urban adaptations, while undergoing the transformations associated with the modernisation of the city. Recent classifications (2019, 2025) highlight the heritage value of these vestiges, a testament to a time when Besançon was a major stronghold of the Kingdom of France.

External links