Fort du Moulin

The fort takes its name from the old windmill that once stood below it. It was built, at the instigation of Francis I, to combat piracy that was rampant in the Mediterranean. It was redesigned under Louis XIII by Cardinal Richelieu in 1635, for more residential than military purposes, at the same time as the forts of Estissac, Éminence and Port-Man, in order to form a homogeneous defensive complex. At that time, the fort was permanently inhabited; it served as lodging for the commander and soldiers, but also as a store for artillery and provisions. There was even a bakery for the garrison. The fort was involved in the battle of the king's flute La Baleine against British ships in 1710. On August 4, 1710, Louis de Beaussie, commander of La Baleine, pursued by the English, decided to burn his ship at the foot of Fort du Moulin rather than surrender. In 1793, the fort was taken by the British who blew it up. The central building was destroyed as well as the northwest front of the enclosure. After its recapture, some buildings were restored. A coastal battery was then set up at the foot of the structure. In 1814, the lower battery was armed with two 36-pounder cannons, two 24-pounder cannons, three 18-pounder cannons and one 12-pounder mortar. Fifteen gunners and twenty-five infantrymen then occupied the premises. Around 1815, the fall of the Empire led to the fort being put into dormancy. In 1841, after a proposal from the joint commission for Coastal Armament, the lower battery was equipped with three 30-pounder howitzers, three 22-pounder howitzers and one 32-pounder mortar. The edifice was re-established in 1863 but in 1885, the lower battery was decommissioned in favor of Fort de l'Eminence.