Citadelle de Blaye

The origins of fortifications at this site date back to Roman times, when a castrum was present. Later, the Merovingian king Charibert II ordered the construction of a castle. In the 12th century, a medieval castle complex was built under Wulgrin Rudel, whose ruins, known as Château des Rudel, are still visible today and were partially integrated into later expansions. The first major fortification expansion began in 1652 under the direction of Blaise François Pagan.