Fort Lagarde de Prats-de-Mollo

The origins of the fort date back to the 14th century when a watchtower called “Lagardia” was erected on this site to transmit military messages using fire and smoke signals. After the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659, which ceded the Roussillon region to France, Prats-de-Mollo became a border town. The old watchtower was then converted and expanded into Fort Lagarde to secure the new border and the access to the upper Vallespir valley. Under the direction of the famous fortress builder Vauban, commissioned by Louis XIV, the complex was extensively reinforced and expanded from 1677 onwards. Although construction work stretched over long periods and was only completed in the 19th century, the fort became an important bulwark. During the Roussillon War in 1793, it was briefly occupied by Spanish troops but was recaptured by French forces in 1794. Since 1925, Fort Lagarde has been listed as a historical monument and was abandoned by the military in 1926.

The Fort Lagarde fortress is located in Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste in the Pyrénées-Orientales department, in the Languedoc-Roussillon region, France. It stands at an altitude of approx. 849 m above sea level.

Today, Fort Lagarde can be visited. The municipality acquired the complex in 1976 and has since been carrying out restoration work to preserve this important historical structure.

• Fort Libéria (fortress), approx. 22.5 km away
• Château de Castelnou (castle), approx. 29.7 km away
• Donjon Larroque (castle), approx. 39.2 km away
• Donjon Égat (castle), approx. 39.5 km away