En un regard
Le château en bref
The Fort de l'Alycastre is one of the forts of the Hyères Islands built under Richelieu (around 1640) on Porquerolles. The square tower with a pyramidal base was originally pierced with gun embrasures, which were arranged on the open-air terrace of the first floor. Subsequently, various modifications were made to adapt the building to developments in armaments and the art of war. Eventually, the original gun tower was transformed under the Empire (1811–1814) and then during the nineteenth century into a redoubt for the men serving the main batteries, which were relocated outside. During this evolution, the first floor of the tower was vaulted in brick and the ‘bombproof’ terrace was moved up one level. The outer curtain wall, ‘star-shaped’, was levelled and thickened on the seaward side to protect the artillery pieces repositioned behind it (barbette fire). The outer guardhouse was built.
Having undergone all these changes, the structure is today the complex result of its history. Its general condition is rather average, worsened in places by erosion from wind and water. Volunteers from the association Chantiers Histoire et Architecture Médiévales took part in the restoration of the fort in 1993.
Owned by the French State, it has been a listed historic monument since 14 December 1927.
