An abortive trip to Blaye to find the landing spot of the two remaining British SBS men who took part in Operation Frankton in 1942 brought us very briefly to this pretty French town on the Gironde estuary on France’s Atlantic coast, just north of Bordeaux. Frustratingly, nobody seemed to have heard of what is considered one of the bravest missions of World War Two, so we never found the spot, but it did open our eyes to a town which plays an important role in French history and the stunning citadel perched on its riverbank.
Looking to the left as we drove into the town were a line of pale-stoned townhouses with local businesses and restaurants; to the right, the massive walls of the town’s ancient citadel. It’s a double-take moment: unexpected, magnificent and even slightly intimidating. That was the point of building it, of course!
Located at a key strategic point on the estuary, Blaye was the scene of many highly-contested disputes in the 16th and 17th centuries. The huge port of Bordeaux is situated 30km upriver and was the ultimate prize for those launching military attacks in what was the Guyenne province, but which is now known as Aquitaine.
A row over who officially held sovereignty over Guyenne is considered the key reason behind the 100 Years War between France and England (the Duchy of Guyenne was ruled by the English crown from 1188 to 1453) but English forces largely destroyed the town in 1352. And a few hundred years later, the Fronde (a series of civil wars in France in the middle of the 17th century) saw the town being destroyed by Protestant armies. However, the reconstruction begun by Louis XIII in the early 17th century was continued by Louis XIV who was determined to protect Bordeaux from enemy forces by building a solid defence system across this stretch of the estuary, the largest in Europe.
In 1685, the king employed the services of military engineer and architect Sébastien le Prestre de Vauban to oversee the rebuilding of the fortification in Blaye. Vauban was France’s General Commissioner for Fortifications and redesigned the plans initiated by François Ferry with work beginning in earnest in 1686. The main aim was to adapt the existing buildings to facilitate the use of heavy artillery. The restoration of the citadel was completed in 1689.
The fortification makes up one of three defensive points on this part of the river: Vauban realised that the range of cannon-fire would not reach the full 3km width of the river, so as part of the project, Fort Paté was constructed on an island in the middle of the estuary and Fort Médoc on the opposite left bank. This three-point system became known as the “bolt of the estuary” and became listed under UNESCO World Heritage status in 2008 as part of a group of 12 sites under the name of the Fortifications of Vauban.
The site of the citadel, which covers 38 beautifully-kept hectares, has two main gateways: we walked up through the Porte Dauphine with its Clock Tower (where our dog disgraced herself with an unwanted gift right underneath the regal archway!). We followed the signs to the Tourist Office within the fortress along little streets lined with a couple of cafés and a very interesting bookshop (selling old books and prints). Taking in the view over the river from the Parade Ground over to the Fort Paté and the Ile Nouvelle we headed to the Couvent de Minimes, an old monastery which is frequently closed to the public but luckily for us had been opened up for a watch and clock fair. We walked through its cloistered courtyard and out to onto a lane leading us past the Gunpowder Store and up to another viewing point looking over the town, which looked very small and vulnerable from our position on the metres-thick fortress wall!
Returning to the northern section of the citadel is the old prison, which was built in 1677 before Vauban’s involvement in the rebuilding scheme. This impressive building is now home to the Historical and Archaeological Museum of Blaye. While operating as a prison, the vaulted cells were used for political prisoners, including priests in the French Revolution. Years later, in 1831, the structure was modified to become a bakery, whereby two ovens were built into what were once prison cells! During World War 1, German prisoners held here were employed to bake bread for the entire garrison.
Passing the Pavilion de la Place, we walked through the Porte Liverneuf, which opens out onto a huge area dotted with grassy mounds which once would have had cannons positioned on the top. The inside of these mounds were used to store ammunition and gunpowder. Just opposite, lie the ruins of the 12th-century Château des Rudel, birthplace of the troubadour, Jaufré Rudel. Rudel was also known as the ‘Prince of Blaye’, a musician thought to be instrumental in the creation of the langue d’oc, the regional language. Vauban had attempted to preserve this castle in his reconstruction plans, and some walls and a gate do remain. There are also the remnants of several towers, which had to be reduced in height after a siege by the British in 1814, as they obstructed artillery fire.
Climbing up to another viewing point, we overlooked the remains of a medieval abbey of St Romain and across to the Porte Royale, from where we made our exit.
The citadel is open year-round, and while the signage is very informative, it is also possible to have a guided tour in English, which includes visiting the citadel’s underground passages. Surprisingly, there is also a campsite within its walls. We visited during the Easter holidays when we were among just a smattering of tourists, and the huge size of the citadel can be fully appreciated, but in total it receives around 200,000 visitors every year. The site is in impeccable condition, thanks in part to its UNESCO status, but also through support from the local Aquitaine Regional Council, which helps fund the upkeep of the site.
For more information, the website is www.tourisme-blaye.com
