The history of Fort Bayard (20 photos) Bashny.Net

In 1666, Colbert, finance minister of France under Louis XIV, created a shipyard to build warships near the town of Rochefort, which is located at the mouth of the river Charente.



But the shipyard was vulnerable to attack enemy ships - to get into the mouth of the Charente, bypassing the guns coastal forts surrounding islands, was not difficult. Wars at that time France led a lot and leave it for a tasty piece of the enemy without defense was insanity. In addition, the main opponent of the French was England, owned at the time the most powerful fleet.



Thus, before the king and his entourage have a problem of preservation shipyard. Between the two islands, located near the mouth of the Charente and -Eksom Oleron - was sandbank, which bears the name of "Spit Bayard." But as you know, it is impossible to build a lasting house on the sand. What to say about the fortress! However, the engineer Klervil leading work to strengthen Royaumeix, introduced a proposal on the construction of this fortress. To familiarize with the offer Sebastien Le Prêtre de Vauban, a military engineer and marshal of France, the King expressed his opinion:

"Sire, it is easier to grasp the moon teeth than to perform such work in this place." The construction project was not approved and was abandoned.

In 1763, at the end of the Seven Years' War (even during the reign of Louis XVI), the British managed to hold two landings on the island of Aix, which once again clearly demonstrated the vulnerability of the objects of the region. The issue of the construction of the fort was raised again drafted, but it was rejected as too expensive.



We returned to the project in the next century, in 1801. In June this year a joint commission of military and civilian builders offering their project fortress. February 7, 1803 the project was approved the first consul Bonaparte state.

Since the foundation of sandy spit Bayard was not suitable for such a construction, it was decided to make a mound of stones. Work began in 1804. You can not even imagine the ease of construction. Sourced from local quarries stone blocks were brought into the open sea and dumped on the fragile sand box braids. Produce work was only possible at low tide and only in those days, when the capricious nature of the coastal area it is allowed to do. In the third year of construction, it is clear that the heavy stone blocks under its own weight, more and more deep into the sand.



Sisyphean task - here's how you can describe this work. But not only that - the brutal storms of winter 1807 - 1808 years., Which caused a lot of troubles and residents of the coast, destroying almost finished the first two layers of the mound. "Allies" in the fight against the nature of the emerging fort ancient enemies speak French - English. Their ships are always nearby, making the already almost hopeless venture simply insane.





Construction costs the state too expensive. Emperor Napoleon decides to reduce the size of the fort was originally conceived.

In 1809, work resumed already on newly approved projects. But do not pass a year, as construction is interrupted: to contribute to the destruction of the British squadron of Rochefort and many financial difficulties. In the manufacture of the mound has been spent 3, 5 thousand cubic meters of stone, which cost the state treasury 3, 5 million francs.

New Life Project finds in 1840, when King Louis Philippe. Again complicate relations with the British forced military officials to wrestle over the eternal problem of protecting shipyard of Rochefort. By the time the stone base stabilized on its sandy bed, and had been so fragile as at the beginning.

Greatly facilitate the work of technological progress: the disposal of builders were concrete, cement and hydraulic
lime. This eliminated the need to deliver the heavy stones from the islands - now produce units can be on the spot. Campaign 1847 and 1848 made it possible to find the necessary funds for the construction costs.



Work on the foundation was completed in 1848, and by the end of 1852 completed the construction of the basement. It had placed gunpowder and provisions stores, water tanks, kitchens, dining rooms, a guardhouse and a latrine. At the end of 1854 we completed the construction of the first floor, and in 1857 he graduated from the work on the top platform of the fort and watchtower. Fully building work stopped in 1866. Thus, the construction of the fort lasted a total ease of more than sixty years! And only a smaller part of the fall term immediately the construction work.

Ready fort is 68 meters long and 31 meters wide with a height of 20 meters. 66 casemates of the fort can accommodate a 74 artillery guns. The garrison of the fort is composed of 260 people at their disposal canteen-keeper, laundress and even two cobbler (and this despite the fact that the shoes of soldiers of the fort, in principle, should not wear out quickly). In the case of the siege of the garrison of the fort can survive for two months, using food and water.



It would seem, what more could you want? After a grand effort fort finally built and ready for the full justify invested in its construction funds. But here it is, the irony! By the end of construction it is that the fort is no longer needed.

The fact is that before the low long range artillery weapons are not allowed to control the waters between the two islands, which allows enemy ships to fly almost with impunity under the noses of the French artillery. However, technological progress, the one that simplified the construction of the fort, touched and military equipment. New artillery had tripled dalnobojnostju; it was enough to get rid of the uninvited guests using batteries alone islands. Instead of initially planned 74 artillery shells into the fort was delivered only 30



However, the prison fort was destined to spend a short time - in 1872, the prisoners were moved to a special colony on the island of New Caledonia, and the fortress took the Navy. Thus Fort Bayard still got the status of a military facility, and was so until 1913, when the military finally left the fortress.

Reign Fort Bayard was a good target for thieves. All that constituted at least some value, was removed. Artillery guns were sold to two buyers-iron scrap. Those without thinking twice, disconnect enshrined cannon dynamite. This alone speaks of how "needs" is now at the fort ...

However, the authorities of the Department was made a timid attempt to cash in on the fort - in 1931 the fortress surrendered vnaёm everyone, for 300 francs a year. Those wishing to rent the fort were only two.

During World War II, the fort, as well as the whole of France was occupied by German troops.

The invaders used the fort as a target for shooting drill, resulting in almost completely destroyed the wharf and breakwaters, and the courtyard of the fort proved to be literally buried under the rubble.



Extensive restoration work carried out on the territory of post-war France, it is not affected by Fort Bayard - he was left wounded and a dense growth of wild herbs lightly covered the scars left by the war. Reckoning fort historical monuments, held in 1950, also did not change anything.

And in 1961 it was decided to put Fort Bayard as a lot at auction. The minimum price was 7, 5 thousand francs. Potential buyers were about fifty, but in the end, with increasing amount of them there are only two - the Belgian dentist from Awori Eric Aert and a representative of the Association of Friends of Fort Bayard (yes, there was, and such). Unfortunately, the Association was unable to allocate for the purchase of more than 25 thousand francs, and Aert, offered 28 thousand, became the owner of the fort.



It seems that the new owner had no idea why he needs the fort, so he was never able to find him a proper application - all his crazy projects of transformation of the fortress in the casino, hotel or holiday home and have not been implemented. Aert, who at that time went seventh decade, rarely
I dropped in their possession, so Fort Bayard went empty.

However, soon about this fort first learned the whole world - in 1966, Robert Enrico staged at Fort Bayard
the final scene of his film "Adventurers" with two stars of French cinema - Alain Delon and Lino Ventura.

After quite a long break, in 1980, the fort once again appears on the screen - this time in the game show "Treasure Hunt", whose author was a well-known figure of the French television Jacques Antoine - he to discover Fort Bayard while watching " Adventurers "and suggested the use of a fortress for the shooting.

Jacques Antoine was a fortress impressed: "I noticed this interesting fort, but I had no idea where he is. However, we found it quickly, and when I stood at the foot of the granite walls, the cries of seagulls, this stone structure in the middle of the sea, I realized that this is the most beautiful place, it could not be better suited to my new play ».



But if the first Fort Bayard occasionally appeared on the screen, the new game he plays the main role. It was extremely difficult to realize - because the castle was the private property of the Belgian dentist.

However, Eric Aert agreed to sell the fort for the "modest" sum of 1, 5 million francs, and the General Council of the department of Charente Maritime ventured to make a deal and bought the fort. Then Jacques Antoine, paying a nominal sum of 1 franc, became the owner of Fort Bayard and started the implementation of their project.

To facilitate access to the fort was built a special mooring platform. And work is the restoration of the fortress began with the fact that the courtyard of Fort Bayard was cleared of pyatidesyatisantimetrovogo
layer of bird droppings, accumulated here for many decades, and nearly 700 cubic meters of rubble.

And now, after several months of restoration and construction work, the fortress was taken
the first release of a game show "Keys to the Fort Bayard." A new era of the history of the fort - now closed to the public and their lives, especially life.



In 1994, a game called "Fort Bayard" appeared on NTV. The channel aired a few years translated the original French editions of the program, the first-season games with the Russian participants (in 1998), as well as the translated version of the national Norway, Canada and the UK. From 2002 to 2006, the show is on TV channel "Russia" under the name "Fort Boyard».



Interesting facts about the game "Fort Boyard»:

The biggest win in the French game was 243,480 francs (37,118 euros). That jackpot was foiled in 2001.
Gong, which hits every game Lyabul, made of wood, so the sound is applied during installation.
The largest at the time of the German fan site fortboyard.de game Fort Boyard with a huge amount of information, updates stopped in 2002. The new site was created in 2004, but it is still nothing.
Alexander Gorbunov from Nizhny Tagil asked a question about the continuation of Fort Boyard in Russian three times in a live radio station "Echo of Moscow" in 2008-2009 Sergey Brilyov, Leonid Yarmolnik (leading Russian version) and Dmitry Gubernieva (party to one of the games). And no one knew whether the next season or not.
The music for the game Fist wrote Paul (Paul Koulak) and it's called "Keys to the Fort Bayard» (Les Cles De Fort Boyard)
Among the Masters Games were (or are) women (or one). It is easily identified by the hands of one of the Masters.
Himself Council Hall located on the third floor of the fort. However, the concept of the game suggests that there is room in the basement or dungeon. During the assembly is first inserted footage from running down the stairs to the team, and only after her show in the run up to the door of the Council Hall.