Fort Boyard (fortification)
| Fort Boyard | |
|---|---|
| In the Pertuis d'Antioche straits, between the Île-d'Aix and the île d'Oléron, on the west coast of France |
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Fort Boyard
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 Fort Boyard
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| Coordinates | 45°59′59″N 1°12′50″W / 45.9996°N 1.2139°WCoordinates: 45°59′59″N 1°12′50″W / 45.9996°N 1.2139°W |
| Type | Fortress |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by |
 France
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| Site history | |
| Built | Started 1801, completed 1857 |
| In use | 1857–1913 |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison | 250 soldiers |
Fort Boyard (pronounced: [fɔʁ bɔjaʀ] in English and [fɔʁ bwajaʀ] 
pronunciation in French) 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 and is the filming location for the TV gameshow of the same name. Though a fort on Boyard bank was suggested as early as the 17th century, it was not until the 1800s under Napoleon Bonaparte that work began. Building started in 1801 and was completed in 1857. In 1967, the final scene of the French film Les aventuriers was filmed at the remains of the fort.
Fort Boyard is oval-shaped, 68 metres (223 ft) long and 31 m (102 ft) wide. The walls were built 20 m (66 ft) 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.
The construction of the fort was first considered during a build-up of the French armed forces undertaken by Louis XIV between 1661 and 1667. Fort Boyard was to form a line of fortification with Fort Enet and Fort de la Rade on Île-d'Aix to protect the arsenal of Rochefort from Royal Navy incursions. Due to the limited range of artillery in the 17th century, the fields of fire between the fortifications on the islands of Aix and Oléron did not overlap. A fort on Boyard bank, roughly midway between the two, would have filled that gap. In 1692 the French engineer Descombs began planning the programme of building the fort; however, once it became clear how expensive it would be the scheme was abandoned. Vauban, Louis XIV's leading military engineer, famously advised against it, saying "Your Majesty, it would be easier to seize the moon with your teeth than to attempt such an undertaking in such a place".
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Wikipedia