Ouvrage Saint-Agnès

Ouvrage Sainte-Agnès
la ligne Maginot
Part of Maginot Line, Alpine Line
Sainte-Agnès, Alpes-Maritimes
Ouvrage Sainte-Agnès
Ouvrage Sainte-Agnès
Coordinates	43°47′56″N 7°27′45″E / 43.798906°N 7.462519°E / 43.798906; 7.462519
Code	FR
Site information
Owner	Sainte-Agnès
Controlled by	France
Open to the public	Yes
Condition	Restored
Site history
Built	1931 (1931)
Built by	CORF
Materials	Concrete, steel, rock excavation
Battles/wars	Italian invasion of France, Operation Dragoon

Ouvrage Sainte-Agnès was a work (gros ouvrage) of the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line, also called the Little Maginot Line. The fortification was built between 1932 and 1938. The site is at the south edge of the hill town of Sainte-Agnès, Alpes-Maritimes at an elevation of 780 metres overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

In the 16th century the House of Savoy built a fortification in Sainte-Agnès, which was a strategic location between the Counts of Provence and Genoa. The fortress saw actions between the French and the Sardinians, becoming a possession of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardina between 1814 and 1860 before returning to France.

The Maginot fortification was planned to defend the Bay of Menton and to prevent attack on the coastal cities from the north. The ouvrage consisted of one entry block, two artillery blocks, two infantry blocks and one observation block facing Italy. There are approximately 2000 square metres of underground space under more than 55 metres of rock cover.

The ouvrage was built between November 1931 and October 1934 by a contractor named Borie, at a cost of 16.8 million francs. In 1940 it was commanded by Captain Panzani. Ten observation posts reported to Sainte-Agnès.

The observation post at Pic-de-Garuche 43°49′24.37″N 07°27′35.04″E / 43.8234361°N 7.4597333°E / 43.8234361; 7.4597333, while closer to Ouvrage Castillon to the north, reported to Saint-Agnès. The post comprised an entry block and an observation block with a unique example of a VP cloche. The design was by CORF, the primary Maginot design organization, but construction was managed by MOM (Main d’Œuvre Militaire), which carried out the construction of many of the lesser posts.