The ''Fort de Bellegarde'' (''Fort'' or ''Castell de Bellaguarda / Bellaguàrdia'' in Catalan) is a 17th-century

bastion fort A bastion fort or ''trace italienne'' (a phrase derived from non-standard French, meaning 'Italian outline') is a fortification in a style developed during the early modern period in response to the ascendancy of gunpowder weapons such as c ...

ification located above the town of ''

Le Perthus Le Perthus (, , ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales Departments of France, department in southern France. Natives of Le Perthus are called ''Perthusiens'' and, in 2021, there were 560 inhabitants. Le Perthus is also on ...

'', in the

Pyrénées-Orientales Pyrénées-Orientales (; ; ; ), also known as Northern Catalonia, is a departments of France, department of the Regions of France, region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Southern France, adjacent to the northern Spain, Spanish ...

département In the administrative divisions of France, the department (, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. There are a total of 101 ...

'' of southern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

History

became French territory after the

Treaty of the Pyrenees The Treaty of the Pyrenees(; ; ) was signed on 7 November 1659 and ended the Franco-Spanish War that had begun in 1635. Negotiations were conducted and the treaty was signed on Pheasant Island, situated in the middle of the Bidasoa River on ...

(1659). Bellegarde was captured by the Spaniards in 1674, but retaken by Schomberg in 1675. In 1678, Vauban's plans for the new fortress of Bellegarde were approved. During the

War of the Pyrenees The War of the Pyrenees, also known as War of Roussillon or War of the Convention, was the Pyrenees, Pyrenean front of the First Coalition's war against the First French Republic. It pitted Revolutionary France against the kingdoms of History ...

, the fortress was besieged in May - June 1793 by the Spanish and then by the French (May - Sept. 1794). During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the fort was used as a holding prison by the ''

Gestapo The (, ), Syllabic abbreviation, abbreviated Gestapo (), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of F ...

'' for escaped

prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...

and enemy agents.

In popular culture

In 1974, scenes from the

Charles Bronson Charles Bronson (born Charles Dennis Buchinsky; November 3, 1921 – August 30, 2003) was an American actor. He was known for his roles in action films and his "granite features and brawny physique". Bronson was born into extreme poverty in ...

film '' Breakout'' were filmed at the Fort. The filmmakers were portraying an actual helicopter prison escape similar to one that occurred in

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

in 1971.

Tourism

The fort is open to the public between June and September only and includes exhibits on the history of the fort, its archaeology and the surrounding area. As a property of the state, it has been listed since 1967 as a ''

monument historique () is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, ...

'' by the

French Ministry of Culture The Ministry of Culture () is the ministry (government department), ministry of the Government of France in charge of List of museums in France, national museums and the . Its goal is to maintain the French identity through the promotion and pro ...

References

External links

*
The Fortress of Bellegarde - Roussillon

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bellegarde, Fort de 17th-century fortifications Buildings and structures in Pyrénées-Orientales Forts in France Military and war museums in France Museums in Pyrénées-Orientales Monuments historiques of Pyrénées-Orientales Vauban fortifications in France

History

In popular culture

Tourism

See also

References

External links