An inventory of works within the city walls - Besançon

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Quai Vauban
Seventeenth century
The works on the quay on either
side of the porte Battant, on the side
of the loop, started in 1691 under
the supervision of engineer Isaac
Robelin, director of the Franche-Comté
fortifications, against the advice of
Vauban who only wanted
to build a simple rampart. The
project, which involved realigning
the façades of the houses, would
never be completed due to lack of
funds. To celebrate the glory of Louis
XIV, a triumphal arch was erected on
the bridge between 1691 and 1693.
The base of the gate had a defensive
function: two batteries with casemates
were there for firing upstream and
downstream and to prevent the Doubs
from being crossed. In poor condition,
the arch was knocked in 1776.
Cordeliers flank casemate
Seventeenth century
Chamars Promenade / Quai Vauban
The Cordeliers flank is a reinforced
vaulted artillery-proof casemate
for three pieces of artillery which
could aim low fire over the Doubs,
between the Cordeliers tower and the
Arenes bastion situated on the other
bank. The entrance is no longer visible
as the buildings of the Lycée Pasteur
school are in front of it: perhaps the
entrance to the casemate has been
buried under these buildings or under
the embankment next to the road.
Casemate on the Poitune flank
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Seventeenth century
Quai Vauban (entrance at the corner of the
rue du Lycée and the rue Claude Pouillet
is currently occupied by a restaurant)
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Saint-Esprit bastion
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Seventeenth century
Corner of Quai Vauban/rue Jean Petit
This was built between 1692 and 1695
and levelled in 1895. In its left flank
there is a casemate which had two
pieces of artillery for directing low
fire over the Doubs downstream.
Its right-hand flank included
a slope down to a watering place.
This was a vaulted passage in the
ramparts which enabled horses to be
taken to drink the river water.
The passage was equipped with a
firing arcade and was closed by gates.
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This casemate had the same
function as the Cordeliers casemate,
but only had two canons.
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