Avrieux & Aussois (FR)

FORTE CULTURA Station: Esseillon fortress system (FR)

Esseillon fortress system - where stone history comes to life

Monumental fortress art in the Alps

The Barrière de l'Esseillon is an impressive complex of five fortifications in the French Haute-Maurienne, built between 1819 and 1834. The five forts are perched between 1200 and 1500 metres above sea level on huge rocky outcrops above the Arc gorge and form an architectural unit that is unparalleled in the Alps in terms of its size and preservation. From here, the Access to the Mont-Cenis Pass, the main route to Turin, will be checked and closed.

Originally from the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont as impassable bar (verrou glaciaire) built to protect against French invasions, the forts are based on the innovative Montalembert system, which relied on polygonal forts with multi-storey cannon towers protected in casemates. The forts were arranged so that they were separated by Supporting each other in the crossfire They could be used for defence, while they were out of reach even for enemy artillery on the surrounding ridges. After the annexation of Savoy by France in 1860, the structures lost their original strategic importance, but were later used as garrisons or internment camps during the Second World War.

Today, the facilities classified as historical monuments are a centre for tourism and culture, where visitors can enjoy museums, gastronomy and sports activities such as Via Ferrata can experience. Since the 1970s, civic involvement has ensured the continuous restoration and preservation of this architectural heritage.