Vauban, Sébastien le Prestre, Maréchal de
| Sébastien le Prestre, Marquis de Vauban | |
|---|---|
Vauban, French School painting of the 18th century
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| Born |
4 May 1633 Saint-Léger-Vauban |
| Died | 30 March 1707 (aged 73) Paris |
| Cause of death | Pulmonary embolism |
| Resting place | Bazoches. Heart at Les Invalides. |
| Nationality | French |
| Known for | Contributions to military engineering and fortifications |
| Title |
Maréchal de France |
| Awards | Ordre de Saint-Louis |
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Maréchal de France
Commissaire général des fortifications (1678–1703)
Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban (1 or 4 May 1633 – 30 March 1707), commonly referred to as Vauban (French: [vobɑ̃]), was a French military engineer who rose in the service to the king and was commissioned as a Marshal of France. Considered the foremost engineer of his time, Vauban is known for his skills both in designing fortifications and breaking through them; his concepts, inspired by Pagan's "Les Fortifications", were the dominant model of fortification and siegecraft for nearly 100 years.
He also advised Louis XIV on how to consolidate France's borders in order to make them more defensible. Vauban made the radical suggestion of France giving up some land that was indefensible in order to create a stronger, less porous border with its neighbours.
Vauban was born in Saint-Léger-de-Foucheret (renamed Saint-Léger-Vauban in his honour in 1867), in Burgundy France, into a family of minor nobility. At the age of ten, he was orphaned and left in very poor circumstances. He lived his boyhood and youth amongst the peasantry of his native place. After some time, he was put under the care of the Carmelite prior of Semur, who undertook his education. He gained a grounding in mathematics, science and geometry which was integral to his adult career.
At the age of seventeen Vauban joined the regiment of Condé in the war of the Fronde. He received the offer of a commission within a year, which he declined on account of poverty. (Officers were required to outfit their units.) Condé employed him to assist in the fortification of Clermont-en-Argonne. Soon afterward Vauban was taken prisoner by the royal troops; although a rebel, he was well-treated. The kindness of Cardinal Mazarin converted the young engineer into a devoted servant of the king.
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