Citadelle Saint-Elme, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France

To protect the County of Nice from invaders, the Duke of Savoy built the Saint-Elme citadel in the 16th century, together with the satellite fortresses of Mont-Alban and Saint-Hospice, and the port of La Darse where the galleys were moored. These constructions entrusted to Italian engineers were fore-runners of a new type of bastion fortification. Today, this remarkable complex (7.5 acres) accommodates the Town Hall, the Volti, Goetz-Boumeester Museums and the Roux Collection.

References:

French Riviera Tourism

Castles and fortifications in France

User Reviews

Haroon Hammad (5 years ago)
Calm & wonderful place, far from tourists, there are couple of nice sea food restaurants

Anca Stan (6 years ago)
Such a nice place with lovely narrow streets and amazing view.

Stephen Lee (6 years ago)
Very large ground and nice garden to walk around. Also some exhibits to see. Free admission. Very enjoyable.

David Choi (6 years ago)
It's free and very photogenic! Go in and have a look. No crowds

Pete Watts (6 years ago)
Lovely fort! Free entry, various gardens to explore, and great views of Villefranche.

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.

Citadelle Saint-Elme

Address

Details

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