FortressCamaret-sur-Mer

Tour Vauban

Tour Vauban

The Tower can be visited

In Camaret-sur-Mer on the Breton west coast stands the Tour Vauban, a hexagonal tower on a small peninsula off the town. This defensive structure once served to protect the Brest roadstead and is 17th-century military architecture.

History+

Planning for the Tour Vauban began as early as 1683 under the direction of the fortress builder Vauban. The construction contract was awarded in 1689, and its erection took place from 1693 to 1697 under the supervision of Jean-Pierre Traverse. With its eleven cannons, a cannonball oven, and a semicircular protective wall, the tower played a role in 1694 in repelling an invasion attempt by English and Dutch forces. Since 1907, the tower has been a listed monument, and since 2008, it has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage, along with other Vauban fortifications.

Location+

The Tour Vauban is located in Camaret-sur-Mer, in the Finistère department of the Brittany region, France, at an elevation of approximately 8 meters above sea level.

On site+

Today, the tower is owned by the municipality of Camaret and can be visited by the public.

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Source: Wikipedia · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20100712_Tour_Vauban_-_4.jpg

This description draws on the facts documented in the linked Wikipedia article; Wikipedia content is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wording and editing: Mobile History.

Location: 48.2801, -4.5917