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| Although the towers of La Rochelle were built from the 12th century, most of the fortifications of the Charente coast were built from the 17th century. Their role was to push back all enemies coming from the sea, to protect the strategic zones of the straits and estuaries. The ensemble of the sites denotes exceptional historical diversity and architectural quality. |
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 Fortified enclosures
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| The fortified enclosure of Rochefort was built in 1670, following the creation of the port and Corderie Royale (Royal Ropemaker’s) by Colbert, in 1666. That of Saint-Martin de Ré and the citadel, dates from 1681, and follows the layout of Vauban, who also completed the first structure of Brouage that Richelieu had built in 1622, before moving on to the Château d’Oléron in 1699. |
The forts |
| The Fort Louvois or Fort Chapus, between the Ile d’Oléron and the continent, were built under the reign of Louis XIV by Louvois in 1691. The fort of the Ile Madame, at the mouth of the Charente estuary, was built at the beginning of the 13thh century, before a barracks was integrated in 1847. From 1801, Napoleon built a number of bastions around Fouras and the Ile d’Aix, the most famous of which being Fort Boyard, but also Fort Liédot in 1808 (properly completed in 1834) on the Ile d’Aix, and Fort Enet in 1810, at the Pointe de la Fumée headland in Fouras, accessible only at low tide. |
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