Fort des Salettes is located on the heights overlooking Briançon, in the Hautes-Alpes, and was intended to protect the city from possible enemy troops from Italy.
The plans were drawn by Vauban and the construction began in 1709. The construction lasted three years. This first work comes in the form of a "redoubt", that is to say a square tower inspired by medieval towers. It is surrounded by a moat and a gallery equipped with slots to target the enemy under different fires. The originality of this set is that access to the gallery is only possible from the tower, which can accommodate a hundred men on two levels.
In the mid-nineteenth century, in the 1840s, the redoubt is reinforced and becomes a real strong thanks to the construction of a bastioned enclosure, casemates and a powder magazine.
The ensemble is well preserved, the stone masonry of sizes and decorations including the royal coat of arms have been preserved.
Property of the city, the Fort des Salettes is part of the fortified ensemble of Briançon inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List under the Fortifications of Vauban.
Visit in summer after a walk of about twenty minutes on a forest path from the Heritage Department of Briançon, located Porte de Pignerol. Price: from 4.60 to 7.20 euros. Information on +33 4 92 20 29 49.
