Initiative led by the General council

PRESENTATION OF THE « ROUTE DES FORTS »

Charente Maritime

REPAIR –URBACT PROGRAM PILIER II MILITARY MONUMENTS IN -MARITIME THE FOUR NAVAL FORTIFICATIONS SYSTEMS

LA ROCHELLE – One due to the unsubdued Huguenot town of La Rochelle, till 1628, and the fights with England for the conquer of the Island of Ré : Saint-Martin de Ré

ROCHEFORT - A second, due to the produce and the trade of the salt : Brouage and its defence

- A third, due to the decision of the BROUAGE King Louis the XIVth to build a dockyard for the Navy on the Atlantic coast : Rochefort and its defence

- A fourth, due to the submarine base in La Rochelle and the THE « ROUTE DES FORTS »

Aim : To put in a network the fortresses, to find for each site a specific theme.

Process : Inventory of the fortified heritage 50 coastal sites, 40 forts and batteries, 6 urban fences and 9 fortified medieval churches

6 sites were selected : Saint Martin de Ré, Brouage, le Château d’Oléron, l’ile d’Aix, Fort Vauban, Fort Louvois, Fort Liedot THE « ROUTE DES FORTS »

To built the network

3 Phases : -Feasability studies -Analytical phase -Opérational phase

Budget for the studies: 25 000 €

Budget for the last phases : about 1M€

- THE « ROUTE DES FORTS »

THE COASTAL DEFENCE OF ROCHEFORT THE FORTS IN THE ROADSTEAD OF THE ISLE OF AIX

FORT LIEDOT

Fort Liédot (1810)

The village

Fort la Rade (1693) LE CHÂTEAU D’OLERON A town of 3600 inhabitants

History,

-French and English fights for the Isle of Oléron -When Brouage is erected, Richelieu decided to build on the island in front of Brouage a citadel which will be able to protect and defend the island and the dockyard -A fort is built in 1633, then a village has been founded to protect the population

Today,

- The citadel is owned by the town of Le Château - A place to visit - The town uses the citadel for events

LE CHÂTEAU D’OLERON Barracks / Ramparts Cultural Centre Powder magazine / Main Gate / Historical tourist office Centre

Block house

Fundings since 1999

Investments on the registered Historical Monuments : 1 005 371 € Funding from the Department of Charente-Maritime : 269 055 € Funding from the State : 237 216 € Type of Monuments restored : ramparts, several bastions

SAINT-MARTIN DE RE A town of 2670 inhabitants

History,

-The Huguenot refugees on the islands and the help of England -1627 : creation of the fortress of Saint Martin de Ré and the ramparts of the village - to observe the island and its Protestant population and La Rochelle - to stop the British in using the island as a base to help La Rochelle

Today, -Saint-Martin, the fortress as a jail -A village well preserved -A famous touristic place

SAINT-MARTIN DE RE

Gate in the rampart Ramparts

Citadelle / Jail

Yacht Harbour Hôtel de Clergeotte / Museum Fundings since 1998

Investments on the registered Historical Monuments : 1 200 488 € Funding from the Department of Charente-Maritime : 293 552 € Funding from the State : 470 281 € Type of Monuments restored : ramparts, gates, Hôtel de Clergeotte, citadelle

BROUAGE

-The salt of the gulf of - Gradually the gulf silted up -Brouage is founded in 1555, to replace several harbours located on the coastline of the gulf -A Royal citadel to observe La Rochelle -During ages, and from the entire Europe, ships came and loaded the salt -At the end of the seventeenth century, Brouage became the most important fortified town of the region -The decline came with the foundation of Rochefort (1666) and the silting up of the gulf producing more and more marshlands

BROUAGE, REUSE OF BUILDINGS IN THE FORTRESS

House of Champlain / interpretation Centre about

New houses / Arts and crafts shops

Large powder magazine / exhibition hall Food store / -Interpretation Centre about Brouage, -Library Small -Offices powder magazine / Cooper’s shop / exhibition hall events hall

BROUAGE

Fundings since 1999

Investments on the registered Historical Monuments : 1 025 565 € Funding from the Department of Charente-Maritime : 458 806 € Funding from the State : 361 208 € Type of Monuments restored : ramparts, bastions, military buildings

Some data :

500 000 visitors per year on the whole site 45 000 paying visitors in the buildings 22 permanent workers

THE « ROUTE DES FORTS » THE COASTAL DEFENCE OF ROCHEFORT THE FORTS IN THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER CHARENTE FORT VAUBAN History, -built round 1300, to control the access to the Charente and to withhold taxes on the ships using the river -the donjon is rebuilt in 1480 -1689, Ferry led works to reinforce the fort

Reused as, - vistors centre - a museum THE « ROUTE DES FORTS »

THE COASTAL DEFENCE OF BROUAGE FORT LOUVOIS History,

-Built in 1691 -Responsible with the Château d’Oléron for the protection of Brouage And Rochefort -Controlled the access to the Pertuis de Maumusson in the south

Reused as,

- a place to visit, guided tour - for events

THE « ROUTE DES FORTS »

THE « ROUTE DES FORTS »

• The game « Mystery of Forts story » is born in 2001, within the framework of the fortification’s network in Charente-Maritime.

• This game is aimed for everybody and more particularly to a familial public.

• The aim is to discover 6 fortifications by a play activity.

• The game is open in july and august. There are about 25 000 players

• Budget: 9 seasonal workers, 25 000 € • This game is a real way to preserve the heritage and to discover it for childrens and adults. • At the end of the game, adults are very happy and amazed to see that our heritage is so well preserved. Before participate at this game, they didn’t know that Charente-Maritime has a so rich heritage. • In the game, there are two heroes: Charlotte and Antoine. They deliver an historic content, chronological markers and architecture military terms. • The access of the game and at the sites is free, as well as the game book for those who wants to discover the riddle. CONCLUSION

In this network, the game served as a test full sized. Public like discover the site because there is a motivation: the game and the riddle.

Nowadays: The network exists by this game Many actors involved on the project ( municipalities, tourism offices, owners of forts…) Waiting for a political decision …and founding solutions