Fort de Joux facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort de Joux |
|
|---|---|
| Château de Joux | |
| Part of Maginot line | |
| La Cluse-et-Mijoux Near Pontarlier in France |
|
The Fort de Joux
|
|
 Fort de Joux
|
|
| Coordinates | 46°52′21″N 6°22′27″E / 46.8725°N 6.3742°E |
| Type | Castle, fort |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Communauté de communes du Larmont |
| Open to the public |
Yes (tours, events) |
| Site history | |
| Built | 11th century |
| Built by | Lords of Joux, Dukes of Burgundy, Charles Quint, Vauban, Joffre. |
| In use | until 1958 |
| Materials | Limestone and tufa |
| Battles/wars | 1814, 1871, 1940 |
The Fort de Joux, also known as the Château de Joux, is an old castle in France. It later became a strong fort. You can find it in a place called La Cluse-et-Mijoux, in the Doubs area of the Jura Mountains. This fort is very important because it guards a mountain pass called Cluse de Pontarlier.
Contents
History of Fort de Joux
The Château de Joux has changed a lot over time. It was first built in the 11th century. Back then, it was made of wood. Over the next 100 years, the local lords of Joux rebuilt parts of it. They used stone for the main tower, called a keep, and for the outer walls.
In 1454, a powerful ruler named Philip the Good, who was the Duke of Burgundy, bought the castle. He turned it into a border fort. He added a ditch filled with water, called a moat, and buildings for soldiers to live in, called barracks.
The castle then belonged to many different rulers. Each new owner made more improvements. One of the most famous people to redesign it was Vauban. He was a brilliant military engineer. He updated the fort between 1678 and 1693. Finally, in 1678, France took control of the fort under King Louis XIV.
Fort de Joux in Later Wars
In 1814, the Austrians captured the fort. Later, in the 19th century, new forts were built nearby at Larmont to make the area even stronger. In 1879, an officer named Joseph Joffre helped modernize the fort. He turned it into a part of the Maginot Line. This was a line of defenses built to stop Germany from invading France, especially from near Switzerland.
Fort de Joux as a Prison
The Fort de Joux was also used as a prison for a long time. French governments used it between the 17th and 19th centuries. Many famous people were held there. One was Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau, a writer and politician. Another was Heinrich von Kleist, a German writer.
The most famous prisoner was Toussaint Louverture. He was a leader of the Haitian Revolution, which led to Haiti becoming independent. Toussaint Louverture died at Fort de Joux on April 7, 1803.
Besides being a prison, the fort helped defend the region. It was used for defense until the First World War.
Fort de Joux Today
Today, the Fort de Joux is a museum of weapons. It has more than 600 rare weapons. These weapons date from the early 1700s to the 1900s. You can even see a very rare rifle from 1717.
The castle also has a deep well. It was once the deepest well in France, going down 147 meters (about 482 feet). Now, part of it is filled in, so it's about 101 meters (about 331 feet) deep. It is now the third deepest well in France.
Since 1949, the French Ministry of Culture has recognized the Château de Joux as a monument historique. This means it is a very important historical site.
See also
In Spanish: Fort de Joux para niños
- List of castles in France
