Saint-Tropez Citadel, Saint-Tropez, France

In 1589, Maréchal de Villars supervised the construction of a small fort on the hill known as 'colline des Moulins' overlooking Saint-Tropez. This fort was destroyed in 1595, but the military engineer Raymond de Bonnefons chose the same site to build further defensive structures from the start of the 17th century.

The hexagonal tower, which formed an essential part of the village's defence system, was erected between 1602 and 1607. The Citadel underwent numerous modifications over the centuries, before falling into disuse in the 19th century, when the strategic interest of this perfectly-preserved fortress finally diminished.

The old cannons are still in place facing out towards to sea, and the views from the top are stunning across the Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea.

Bought up by the town in 1993 and made a listed monument, today it hosts a museum dedicated to the history of Saint Tropez and its relationship with the sea.

References:

See Saint-Tropez

Castles and fortifications in France

User Reviews

John Fries (29 days ago)
Very complete maritime museum with wide ranging exhibits concentrating on the local heritage from antiquity to near present day. Recommended.

S. Stanimirova (38 days ago)
Probably the best place in this overrated town. The view from up there is amazing!

Nathan Duranceau (3 months ago)
Historical place with a nice view on city. Worth to visit exactly. Enjoy your time in St Tropez and don't forget to visit sightseeings.

Vitalie Crudu (4 months ago)
The Citadel has crowned the town for 400 years. In 1602, the king’s engineer, Raymond de Bonnefons, who was in charge of the fortification of Provence, undertook the construction of a massive defensive tower on the “hill of mills”. The tower, now called “donjon”, is typical of 16th and 17th century coastal fortifications. Its construction, which was commissioned by Henry IV, was part of a defense program for the Provencal coast to deter the Spanish from invading. The fortress lost its strategic role in 1873 as its ramparts were not sufficiently strong to withstand modern shells that had now replaced cannonballs.

Bennaree Awarun (10 months ago)
Nice opportunity to get a panoramic view.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Martin M. Miles

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