Mont-Dauphin

Towns and Villages - by Provence Beyond

Villages > Mont-Dauphin

Nearby:  | Briançon 31 km | Ceillac 19 km | Embrun 18 km | Guillestre 5 km | | Saint Paul-sur-Ubaye 32 km | Saint Véran 37 km |

Below: | Fortress | History | O.T. | Transportation | Hiking | Lodging Hotels |

The entire top of the hill is fortified, by Vauban at the end of the 17th century. Photo-1 and photo-2 give an idea of what it looked like to invaders, with the walls just an extension of the natural defenses. Buildings and fortifacations are built from a hard and lovely rose marble. Today asses graze inside the double sets of wide moats [photo-3].

Inside the fortress is a small village, layed out in military fashion with wide streets in precise rectangles. There are a few shops and cafés in the village.Photo-5 is a view down the main street, and Photo-6 is the fountain at the junction of the lower cross street.

At a corner of the cross-street junction in the center of the village is a stone grain-measuring basin [photo-7], with measures and prices marked for 1748.

On the left side, as you enter, is a very long building that was once the cassern. There, across from the little Office de Tourisme, we found a sundial (cadran solaire) maker. Apart from the small models available to passing tourists, he has a catalogue of some very impressive one's he's made; and he makes them on command. They're not easy to ship, however. A sample of his work is on the outside wall [photo-8].

Fortress

The Piemontais invaded the Dauphiné twice in the 17th century: in 1691 via the Col de Vars, from the southeast (coming via the Col de Larche and Meyronnes); in 1692 via the Queyras, from the northeast.

In 1692, Vauban was asked to come and review the Plateau de Millaures (meaning mille-vents, or a thousand winds), a site that overlooked both entries into the region. Since the hilltop was partially surrounded by cliffs, it would only need to defend a relatively short front.

Vauban layed out the defensive positions and designed an interior town, with caserns, arsenal and church. Vauban returned in 1700 to complete the defenses and extend the walls completely around the plateau, work that took place slowly during the 18th century.

Continued modifications and improvements took place well into the 19th century. The inhabitants of the region didn't flock into the town, and Mont-Dauphin remained essentially a military fortress only.

History

The village and fortress were built at the end of the 17th century by Vaubian and Catinat, following the invasion of Dauphiné by the Duke of Savoy and the destruction of Eygliers.

Office de Tourisme

Tel: 04 92 45 17 80

Transportation

See Guillestre.

Hiking

Maps:

Didier Richard (1/50,000) #10 "Queyras Pays du Viso"

See Guillestre.

Lodging - Hotels