Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The fortifications of Caudebec-en-Caux were built from 1378, in a context of generalization of artillery. The project, already well advanced in 1364 thanks to an overtax granted to the city, was completed around 1374. The enclosure, in the form of trapeze, consists of four fronts protected by ditches fed by local rivers, as well as four corner towers, including the tower of the Fascines (serving dungeons) and the tower of Harfleur. Three main gates — Harfleur Gate, Maulévrier Gate and Rouen Gate — allow access to the city, while a defensive structure, the Mordière Fortress, strengthens the western front.

At the end of the 15th century, the tower of the Fascines was partially flattened and transformed into a casemate to adapt to modern artillery. The fortifications, representative of the late medieval urban defences, were gradually dismantled in the 18th century. In the 19th century, there are only remains: the bases of the towers Saint-Martin and the Fascines, as well as traces of the route of the ramparts in the parcellaire. Rouen's last notable element was shaved in 1864. Today, only the bases of the towers remain, witnesses to this complex defensive system.

Fortifications incorporate military innovations of their time, such as flood ditches and towers adapted to cannons. Their construction reflects the geopolitical tensions of the end of the Hundred Years' War, where Norman cities, located on strategic axes (such as the Seine), have reinforced their defences. The enclosure of Caudebec-en-Caux illustrates the transition between medieval castles and the bastioned fortifications of the Renaissance.

Classified Historic Monument in 1996, protected remains include the Harfleur Tower and the Fascine Tower, with their communication gallery. These elements, owned by the commune, recall the strategic importance of Caudebec, port city on the Seine, in the exchanges between Rouen, Harfleur and the sea. Their present state allows us to study the evolution of defensive techniques between the 14th and 15th centuries.

External links