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Origin and history

The fort of Peccais, built in the 17th century near the salins of Aigues-Mortes (Gard), was a strategic military square intended to protect canals and salt crops, a royal monopoly via the gabelle. Its first mention dates back to 1569, but the current building was rebuilt after 1629, following the conflicts between Calvinists and royal authority, until the peace of Alès. With strongholds, ditches and barracks in the U, he housed officers, chapel and shops, enlarged until 1716. Its decline began with the abolition of the gabelle in 1791, followed by its decommissioning in 1820.

During the Second World War (1942-1944), the Germans installed blockhouses there, highlighting its strategic role in the face of a potential allied landing. The fort also served as a prison during the First World War (1914-1918). Ranked a historic monument in 1978 for its remains and ditches, it was transferred to the Conservatoire du littoral in 2012 after having belonged to the Compagnie des Salins du Midi, heir to private operators since the 19th century.

Architecturally, the fort combined defensive elements (courts, bastions, underground courier) and residential elements (governor's houses, king's lieutenant). Its hydraulic system included tanks and coolers. The site, now in ruins, bears witness to the economic stakes of salt in the Camargue, between royal taxation, Mediterranean piracy and river control. The preserved remains (walls, ditches, northeastern bastions) make it possible to imagine its original organization, marked by military symmetry and successive developments until the 18th century.

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