Fort Boyard, France
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Fort Boyard is a fort located between the Île-d’Aix and the Île d’Oléron in the Pertuis d’Antioche straits, on the west coast of France.
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This fortress is the emblem of Rochefort Ocean, a real vigil of the seas that was built on a sandbank to ward off English vessels that threatened an invasion of the Rochefort dockyards. Its construction was made in several stages between 1804 and 1866. The artillery progress was such at that time that the fort was never used for its original military role.
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The idea of its construction came about as early as the end of the 17th century, but was postponed for technical reasons. It was Napoléon Bonaparte who finally launched work from 1801, interrupted in 1809. Work recommenced in 1841 with new techniques to create the artificial island supporting the fort, completed in 1859.
Fort Boyard is oval-shaped, 68m long and 31m wide. The walls were built 20m high. At the centre is a yard, and the ground floor provided stores and quarters for the men and officers. The floor above contained casemates for the emplacements of guns and further quarters. Above that were facilities for barbette guns and mortars.
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