Fort Conde, Chivres-Val, France

The Fort de Condé, or Fort Pille, is a fortification of the Séré de Rivières system, built in France between 1877 and 1883 to defend the area between Soissons and Laon. It is located on the heights of the confluence of the Aisne and the Vesle near the communes of Condé-sur-Aisne and Chivres-Val. Although the fort was considered obsolete at the start of World War I, its command of strategic ground made it a coveted objective throughout the war, changing hands several times. Following the war it was used in support service before its abandonment and purchase by a local community. It has been under preservation since 1979 and may be visited.

The five-sided masonry fort was built by Dollot and Fortier at a cost of 1,850,000 francs-d'or. The fort covered 13 hectares and could accommodate almost 650 men and 20 officers. An infirmary for 80 invalids was also provided, as well as stabling for 12 horses, powder and ammunition magazines, a forge, a workshop and two wells. The fort featured two Mougin casemates mounting 155mm guns, as well as an initial18 guns on the rampart and 8 guns in a separate battery. Two casemates in the main fort were planned to provide indirect fire. The fort is roughly pentagonal, and features two double caponiers and a single caponier. One of the double caponiers provides covering fire to the fort's entrance.

The site is used for exhibitions, theater and son et lumière shows.

References:

Wikipedia

Castles and fortifications in France

User Reviews

TheEvdriver (3 years ago)
Bigger and better than we expected. The Fort is well and with a lot of effort renovated Nice lonely and quiet place for an night in the camper

Simon Whittle (4 years ago)
Something different to the usual WW1 cemeteries

CHARLOTTE STONE (5 years ago)
Interesting place to walk around would benefit from more information.

M Farrar (5 years ago)
A very interesting place to wander round. A pleasant walk too.

Lawn Mowers & Things That Make Noise (6 years ago)
Hidden Gem of a history lesson. Travel back to 1880 38 years before the first world way and see how the French defended themselves in the Franco-Prussian war in which it was defeated. It has been under preservation since 1979. Well worth a visit. It's not small so bring walking shoes and a packed lunch

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright mixteri

Historic Site of the week

Bengtskär Lighthouse

Towering 52 meters above the sea, Bengtskär lighthouse is the tallest one in Scandinavia. The building started in in 1905 after the shipwreck of S/S Helsingfors and was completed in 1906. The lighthouse was designed by architect Florentin Granholm. On December a special petrol lantern, designed and built in Paris, was brought to Bengtskär and installed atop the tower.

German fleet bombarded Bengstkär in the First World War in 1914. Since the Gulf of Finland was heavily mined, it was not until 1919 that the surrounding seas were declared safe for shipping, that the light was lit again.

After the war the military value of Bengtskär increased as part of the defence system of independent Finland. In Second World War (1941) Soviet Union made a suprise attack to island. After a bloody battle, the small Finnish garrison emerged victorious. Intermittent repairs to the facility continued during the post-war period.

Fort Conde

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Bengtskär Lighthouse