Fort Boyard (fortification): Difference between revisions
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'''Fort Boyard''' is a fort located between the [[Île-d'Aix]] and the [[Oléron|Île d'Oléron]] in the [[Pertuis d'Antioche]] straits, on the west coast of France. Though a fort on Boyard bank was suggested as early as the 17th century, it was not until the 1800s under Napoleon Bonaparte that work began. |
'''Fort Boyard''' is a fort located between the [[Île-d'Aix]] and the [[Oléron|Île d'Oléron]] in the [[Pertuis d'Antioche]] straits, on the west coast of France. Though a fort on Boyard bank was suggested as early as the 17th century, it was not until the 1800s under Napoleon Bonaparte that work began. |
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==Layout== |
==Layout== |
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They started to build the Fort Boyard in 1803 and was completed by 1857. |
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[[File:Fort boyard vue aérienne.jpg|left|thumb|upright|Fort Boyard from the air]] |
[[File:Fort boyard vue aérienne.jpg|left|thumb|upright|Fort Boyard from the air]] |
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Fort Boyard is oval-shaped, {{convert|80|m}} long and {{convert|40|m|abbr=on}} wide. The walls were built {{convert|20|m|abbr=on}} high. At the centre is a yard, and the ground floor provided stores and quarters for the men and officers. The floor above contained [[casemate]]s for the emplacements of guns and further quarters. Above that were facilities for [[barbette]] guns and [[Mortar (weapon)|mortars]].<ref name=Lepage206>{{harvnb|Lepage|2009|p=206}}</ref> |
Fort Boyard is oval-shaped, {{convert|80|m}} long and {{convert|40|m|abbr=on}} wide. The walls were built {{convert|20|m|abbr=on}} high. At the centre is a yard, and the ground floor provided stores and quarters for the men and officers. The floor above contained [[casemate]]s for the emplacements of guns and further quarters. Above that were facilities for [[barbette]] guns and [[Mortar (weapon)|mortars]].<ref name=Lepage206>{{harvnb|Lepage|2009|p=206}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 15:22, 1 February 2012
- This article is about the fortification of Fort Boyard itself; for the game show see Fort Boyard (TV series).
| Fort Boyard | |
|---|---|
| In the Pertuis d'Antioche straits, between the Île-d'Aix and the île d'Oléron, on the west coast of France | |
 Fort Boyard | |
  Fort Boyard | |
| Type | Fortress |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by |  France |
| Site history | |
| Built | Started 1801, completed 1857 |
| In use | 1857–1913 |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison | 250 soldiers |
Fort Boyard is a fort located between the Île-d'Aix and the Île d'Oléron in the Pertuis d'Antioche straits, on the west coast of France. Though a fort on Boyard bank was suggested as early as the 17th century, it was not until the 1800s under Napoleon Bonaparte that work began.
Layout
They started to build the Fort Boyard in 1803 and was completed by 1857.
Fort Boyard is oval-shaped, 80 metres (260 ft) long and 40 m (130 ft) wide. The walls were built 20 m (66 ft) high. At the centre is a yard, and the ground floor provided stores and quarters for the men and officers. The floor above contained casemates for the emplacements of guns and further quarters. Above that were facilities for barbette guns and mortars.[1]
History
The construction of the fort was first considered during a build-up of the French armed forces undertaken by Louis XIV between 1661 and 1667.[citation needed] Fort Boyard was to form a line of fortification with Fort Enet and Fort de la Rade on Île-d'Aix to protect the arsenal of Rochefort from Royal Navy incursions.[2] Due to the limited range of artillery in the 17th century, the fields of fire between the fortifications on the islands of Aix and Oléron did not overlap. A fort on Boyard bank, roughly mid-way between the two, would have filled that gap. In 1692 the French engineer Descombs began planning the programme of building the fort; however, once it became clear how expensive it would be, the scheme was abandoned. Vauban, Louis XIV's leading military engineer, famously advised against it, saying, "Your Majesty, it would be easier to seize the moon with your teeth than to attempt such an undertaking in such a place".[1]
After a British raid on Île-d'Aix in 1757, plans for a fort on Boyard bank were once again considered. Though plans were drawn up, the logistical problems again ensured it was abandoned. Efforts were renewed under Napoleon Bonaparte in 1800, and the following year engineers Ferregeau and Armand Samuel de Marescot, and Vice-Admiral François Étienne de Rosily-Mesros designed a fort to be built on the bank. To facilitate the work, a port was established on île d'Oléron. The village of Boyardville was built for the workers. The first stage of construction was to establish a plateau, some 100 by 50 m (330 by 160 ft), to act as foundations. To this end, stones were piled up on the bank.[3]
The project was suspended in 1809. Construction resumed in 1837, under Louis-Philippe, following renewed tensions with the United Kingdom. The fortifications were completed in 1857, with sufficient room for a garrison of 250 men.
However, by the time of its completion, the range of cannons had significantly increased, making the fort unnecessary for national defence.
Under the Paris Commune of 1871, Fort Boyard was briefly used as a prison, before being abandoned a few years later. As time went by, the fort slowly crumbled and deteriorated into the sea as it was left unsustained.
In 1961 the Commune sold the fort to the département of Charente-Maritime. Six years later, the final scene of the French film Les aventuriers (1967) was filmed at the remains of the fort.
In 1988, restoration work commenced on Fort Boyard, in order to prepare it for a television game show, also named Fort Boyard. The fort was electrified and a jack-up barge was installed on the side in order to facilitate access to television crews. Restoration on the fort finished in 1989 and filming commenced in 1990. Fort Boyard has been used as the set for the show through October, 2011. The new series, Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge, begins October 4, 2011.
References
- Notes
- ^ a b Lepage 2009, p. 206
- ^ Barber 1999, p. 50
- ^ Lepage 2009, pp. 206–207
- Bibliography
- Barber, Richard (1999), The Companion Guide to Gascony and the Dordogne, Companion Guides, ISBN 9781900639279
- Lepage, Jean-Denis G. G. (2009), French Fortifications, 1715–1815: An Illustrated History, McFarland, ISBN 9780786444779
External links
