Fort de l'Éguillette

En un regard

Le château en bref

Fort de l'Éguillette is a military fortification located in the commune of La Seyne-sur-Mer (Var, France), on the Corniche Bonaparte. It forms part of a group of fortifications built to protect the roadstead of Toulon. It was constructed between 1674 and 1685, protecting the roadstead from the intrusion of enemy ships but also the Seyne shoreline. Unlike the round forms of the Tour Royale or Fort de Balaguier, the fort has a square layout, with a tower and two oblique wings originally consisting of a parapet and open-air embrasures equipped with 22 cannons. As a low battery, it allowed grazing fire intended to strike the wooden hulls of the ships of the period. A cannonball furnace is recorded in 1775. In the mid-19th century, the left-hand battery was casemated to meet advances in artillery, while the right-hand battery, which risked firing on the arsenal should the fort be captured, was filled in. The fort was decommissioned on 5 February 1877 and then served as barracks for Marine infantry troops. It was transferred to the French Navy on 10 August 1924, which used it to house workshops and stores for underwater defences. In 1997, a major restoration operation was launched, and the fort, still owned by the Navy, is today used for exhibitions and cultural events. The name "L'Éguillette" is thought to derive from the Provençal word *ayguade*, meaning a source of fresh water used to supply ships.