History
Some dates
1209
Castle of the Counts of Provence, it protects the County from the turbulent dolphins. It is the postern of the Provençal state.
XIVe
It defends the city threatened by armed bands returning from the kingdom of France.
1516
François Ist la visite. Bayard y tient garnison.
1562
The Wars of Religion are ignited in Provence. It is the stake of all the parties. A refuge for the Protestants, the Catholics besieged it twice.
1589
The great works begin at the advent of Henry IV. This was the first award to two contractors from the Val d'Aoste. In 1611 the general plan of the Citadel is in place.
1639
Richelieu locked up Prince Jean Casimir Vasa, the future King of Poland, in the dungeon for plotting with Spain against France.
1692
After the invasion of the Haute-Durance by the Duke of Savoy (Victor Amédée II), Vauban "measured" it. Of his project, only the powder magazine and a well were built.
5 mars 1815
She worried Napoleon on his return from Elba. It could have stopped him, broken the epic. Deprived of gunpowder, its 23 cannons let the emperor and his 1,200 soldiers pass.
Juillet 1944
The Resistance freed the political prisoners who were locked up there.
15 août 1944
The Citadel was severely damaged during the bombing of the city by the Allied forces.
1956
An association (ATM) is taking charge of its restoration under the aegis of the City and the Monuments Historiques.
2015
Le 20 janvier 2015, la Citadelle de Sisteron est classée aux Monuments Historiques dans sa totalité.
The rock that bears the Citadel has always been fortified.
Il ne reste rien de l’oppidum romain, pas davantage du château fort du haut Moyen-Âge, fait de palissades et de tours précaires. La forteresse qui couronne la ville aujourd’hui est un ensemble d’ouvrages d’époques très diverses, fruit de modernisations et de reprises successives. Le rempart supérieur, ou chemin de ronde, ponctué d’un puissant donjon, date du XIIIe, voire du XIIe siècle. Deux autres tours s’y élevaient, arasée pour l’une (à l’ouest), abaissée pour l’autre. À cette ligne de couronnement, on a adapté, au XVIe siècle – après les dommages des guerres de Religion – au nord et au sud, un étagement d’ouvrages bastionnés auquel venait s’attacher le rempart enserrant la cité depuis le XIVe siècle. La face sud comporte quatre enceintes fermées de portes bien défendues, pour certaines, par des ponts-levis. La face nord, que Vauban (1633-1707) appellera “l’Hiver” pour sa froidure, n’en compte que trois, très remaniées au XIXe siècle. Ces ouvrages, attribués sans raison à Jean Errard (ingénieur des fortifications de Picardie et d’île de France), sont plus sûrement l’œuvre de Jehan Sarrazin, ingénieur du roi dans la deuxième moitié du XVIe siècle.
En 1692, Vauban, après l’invasion de la haute vallée de la Durance par le duc de Savoie Victor Amédée II (1675-1730), conçut pour Sisteron un vaste plan de défense intéressant la ville et la forteresse. De l’ambitieux projet, seuls la poudrière et un puit (au nord) furent réalisés.
From 1842 to 1860 - Savoy and the County of Nice were not yet French - final works were carried out to update the Citadel. Referring to Vauban's recommendations, the curtain walls were raised and the two carriage gates on the south side were opened. To the north, the second enclosure was redesigned and a cistern was built to collect rainwater. Casemates were built, protected by escarpments. The underground staircase linking the fortress to the north gate of the town was dug. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
From 1863 onwards, only maintenance credits were allocated. The Citadel lost its value as a fortification with the advent of rifled artillery allowing for very long-range firing and, in 1894, the fortress was decommissioned. The Citadel became a detention centre for German prisoners during the First World War.
It was classified as a historical monument in 1925 and bought by the City in 1928. An open-air theatre was created there. It hosts a theatre festival, one of the first in France. A new life begins...
In 1940, it was requisitioned and became a "supervised residence centre", and temporary buildings were erected. In August 1944, the bombardment of the town caused terrible injuries which, since 1956, the Arts, Theatre and Monuments Association (ATM) has been gradually repairing with the proceeds from the admission fees.
Text P. Colomb and E. Robert
