Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Vauban

Cannes was a fishing village up to the mid 19th century, when it was "found" by french and foreign aristocrats who built holidays homes here. In early 1870 the "Croisette" was built, still considered the "meeting place of the rich and beautiful". Since then Cannes has stretched itself all along the coast. More than three million tourists visit Cannes per year. There are about 130 hotels with some 8000 rooms, three casinos, restaurants, cafes, clubs, discos.... In medieval times, there were not only fishermen here, but as well monks, as Cannes belonged to the Abbaye de Lérins. Over centuries Cannes was exposed to raids by pirates. Around 1530, Cannes detached from the monks who had controlled the city for hundreds of years and became independent. The monks had built a fortified monastery at the top of the hill of Suquet which dominates the bay from the 11th century on. Conventual building, it is built on a quadrangular plan, like that of a castle with a keep, and it incorporates in its defensive enclosure a main building and a chapel. In the middle of the central courtyard stands a square tower whose height could allow the lookout. In 1635 the Lerin islands were captured by the Spanish. Two years later, the islands was retaken by the French. Later Vauban fortified the island of Sainte-Marguerite with an efficient defense system. The fort became a state prison used by all regimes. One of the prisoners kept here was the "Man in the Iron Mask", a (still) unidentified man who was arrested in 1669 and subsequently held in a number of French prisons. He spent 11 years on St. Marguerite Island and died 1703 in the Bastille in Paris. According to local legend, the Man in the Iron Mask escaped from Sainte-Marguerite island and spent the last years of his life in this 12th-century tower, but that´s just a legend.

Bazoches is a small village with a population of less than 200. Located in the centre is since the 12th century St. Hilaire, but since the Huguenots looted the church and burned it down in 1569, most parts of the church now are Gothic. The rebuilding of the choir was financed in 1688 by Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, better known as Maréchal de Vauban or even shorter Vauban. As a military engineer, he participated in each of the wars fought by France during the reign of Louis XIV. He created the most powerful star-shaped bastions and fortifications all around France. Vauban died in Paris in 1707 and was buried in this church. The grave was destroyed during the French Revolution. The revolutionaries melted the lead coffin to produce bullets. In 1804 the Vauban´s heart was found during renovation works, Napoléon Bonaparte ordered his heart reburied in "Les Invalides" in 1804.

Bazoches is a small village with a population of less than 200. Located in the centre is since the 12th century St. Hilaire, but since the Huguenots looted the church and burned it down in 1569, most parts of the church now are Gothic. The rebuilding of the choir was financed in 1688 by Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, better known as Maréchal de Vauban or even shorter Vauban. As a military engineer, he participated in each of the wars fought by France during the reign of Louis XIV. He created the most powerful star-shaped bastions and fortifications all around France. Vauban died in Paris in 1707 and was buried in this church. The grave was destroyed during the French Revolution. The revolutionaries melted the lead coffin to produce bullets. In 1804 the Vauban´s heart was found during renovation works, Napoléon Bonaparte ordered his heart reburied in "Les Invalides" in 1804.

The Lützelstein castle (Lützelstein - Little Stone - Petit Pierre) was built by the Count of Blieskastel and claimed by the Bishop of Strasbourg in 1223. The Count successfully defended it. In 1533, Lützelstein county was passed to the Palatinate-Zweibrücken and from there passed on to the Count Palatine of Veldenz. After the line got extinct in 1694 Lützelstein was returned to Palatinate-Zweibrücken, but at that time it was a French fief, so it was de facto ruled by the Kingdom of France. Vauban expanded its fortress. In 1801 Lützelstein county was formally annexed by France and was part of the Bas-Rhin department in 1801. After that, the fortress was again expanded, but after the Franco-Prussian War in 1872 it was partly demolished by the Prussians. Since 1801 Lützelstein shared the fate of Alsace. It was German, French, German, French - and changed its name from Lützestein to La Petite-Pierre back and forth. - A church existed here probably already in the 13th century. This got replaced by a Gothic building in the early 15th century. Of this church, only the choir survived, the nave was built in the 19th century. Reformation after the Lutheran confession was introduced in 1558. After 1680, when Lützelinden had become French, a Catholic parish was admitted, but it was ruled, that in villages with only one church this should be used "simultaneously", by both denominations. The Gothic choir still has frescoes from the early 15th century. After the Reformation, these paintings got whitewashed. They were discovered in 1864 and restored in the 1960s. There were at least two memorials in the church, that got both destroyed during/after the French Revolution. These are the remains of one of them.

The Lützelstein castle (Lützelstein - Little Stone - Petit Pierre) was built by the Count of Blieskastel and claimed by the Bishop of Strasbourg in 1223. The Count successfully defended it. In 1533, Lützelstein county was passed to the Palatinate-Zweibrücken and from there passed on to the Count Palatine of Veldenz. After the line got extinct in 1694 Lützelstein was returned to Palatinate-Zweibrücken, but at that time it was a French fief, so it was de facto ruled by the Kingdom of France. Vauban expanded its fortress. In 1801 Lützelstein county was formally annexed by France and was part of the Bas-Rhin department in 1801. After that, the fortress was again expanded, but after the Franco-Prussian War in 1872 it was partly demolished by the Prussians. Since 1801 Lützelstein shared the fate of Alsace. It was German, French, German, French - and changed its name from Lützestein to La Petite-Pierre back and forth. - A church existed here probably already in the 13th century. This got replaced by a Gothic building in the early 15th century. Of this church, only the choir survived, the nave was built in the 19th century. Reformation after the Lutheran confession was introduced in 1558. After 1680, when Lützelinden had become French, a Catholic parish was admitted, but it was ruled, that in villages with only one church this should be used "simultaneously", by both denominations. The Gothic choir still has frescoes from the early 15th century. After the Reformation, these paintings got whitewashed. They were discovered in 1864 and restored in the 1960s.

The Lützelstein castle (Lützelstein - Little Stone - Petit Pierre) was built by the Count of Blieskastel and claimed by the Bishop of Strasbourg in 1223. The Count successfully defended it. In 1533, Lützelstein county was passed to the Palatinate-Zweibrücken and from there passed on to the Count Palatine of Veldenz. After the line got extinct in 1694 Lützelstein was returned to Palatinate-Zweibrücken, but at that time it was a French fief, so it was de facto ruled by the Kingdom of France. Vauban expanded its fortress. In 1801 Lützelstein county was formally annexed by France and was part of the Bas-Rhin department in 1801. After that, the fortress was again expanded, but after the Franco-Prussian War in 1872 it was partly demolished by the Prussians. Since 1801 Lützelstein shared the fate of Alsace. It was German, French, German, French - and changed its name from Lützestein to La Petite-Pierre back and forth. - A church existed here probably already in the 13th century. This got replaced by a Gothic building in the early 15th century. Of this church, only the choir survived, the nave was built in the 19th century. Reformation after the Lutheran confession was introduced in 1558. After 1680, when Lützelinden had become French, a Catholic parish was admitted, but it was ruled, that in villages with only one church this should be used "simultaneously", by both denominations. The Gothic choir still has frescoes from the early 15th century. After the Reformation, these paintings got whitewashed. They were discovered in 1864 and restored in the 1960s.

The Lützelstein castle (Lützelstein - Little Stone - Petit Pierre) was built by the Count of Blieskastel and claimed by the Bishop of Strasbourg in 1223. The Count successfully defended it. In 1533, Lützelstein county was passed to the Palatinate-Zweibrücken and from there passed on to the Count Palatine of Veldenz. After the line got extinct in 1694 Lützelstein was returned to Palatinate-Zweibrücken, but at that time it was a French fief, so it was de facto ruled by the Kingdom of France. Vauban expanded its fortress. In 1801 Lützelstein county was formally annexed by France and was part of the Bas-Rhin department in 1801. After that, the fortress was again expanded, but after the Franco-Prussian War in 1872 it was partly demolished by the Prussians. Since 1801 Lützelstein shared the fate of Alsace. It was German, French, German, French - and changed its name from Lützestein to La Petite-Pierre back and forth. - A church existed here probably already in the 13th century. This got replaced by a Gothic building in the early 15th century. Of this church, only the choir survived, the nave was built in the 19th century. Reformation after the Lutheran confession was introduced in 1558. After 1680, when Lützelinden had become French, a Catholic parish was admitted, but it was ruled, that in villages with only one church this should be used "simultaneously", by both denominations.

The Lützelstein castle (Lützelstein - Little Stone - Petit Pierre) was built by the Count of Blieskastel and claimed by the Bishop of Strasbourg in 1223. The Count successfully defended it. In 1533, Lützelstein county was passed to the Palatinate-Zweibrücken and from there passed on to the Count Palatine of Veldenz. After the line got extinct in 1694 Lützelstein was returned to Palatinate-Zweibrücken, but at that time it was a French fief, so it was de facto ruled by the Kingdom of France. Vauban expanded its fortress. In 1801 Lützelstein county was formally annexed by France and was part of the Bas-Rhin department in 1801. After that, the fortress was again expanded, but after the Franco-Prussian War in 1872 it was partly demolished by the Prussians. Since 1801 Lützelstein shared the fate of Alsace. It was German, French, German, French - and changed its name from Lützestein to La Petite-Pierre back and forth.

Sunset in La Petite-Pierre, where the Lützelstein castle (Lützelstein - Little Stone - Petit Pierre) was built by the Count of Blieskastel and claimed by the Bishop of Strasbourg in 1223. The Count successfully defended it. In 1533, Lützelstein county was passed to the Palatinate-Zweibrücken and from there passed on to the Count Palatine of Veldenz. After the line got extinct in 1694 Lützelstein was returned to Palatinate-Zweibrücken, but at that time it was a French fief, so it was de facto ruled by the Kingdom of France. Vauban expanded its fortress. In 1801 Lützelstein county was formally annexed by France and was part of the Bas-Rhin department in 1801. After that, the fortress was again expanded, but after the Franco-Prussian War in 1872 it was partly demolished by the Prussians. Since 1801 Lützelstein shared the fate of Alsace. It was German, French, German, French - and changed its name from Lützestein to La Petite-Pierre back and forth.

Since the 12th century the fortress "Bytis Castrum" was known, located on a rock about 70 metres above the town. At that time the town belonged to the Duchy of Lorraine. Later Lorraine changed ownership to the counts of Zweibrücken-Bitsch, a line that became extinct in 1570. Bitche fell to the Lutheran County of Hanau Lichtenberg, but came back to Lorraine 36 years later and got re-catholicized. In 1680 France occupied the country. The subsequent reconstruction and redesign of the medieval castle to a modern fortress was done by Vauban. During the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, the fortress was besieged by Bavarian troops but could not be taken. After the war, Bitche was given to the German Empire as part of Alsace-Lorraine, but it changed back to France after WWI. It became German, after the French Campaign in the summer of 1940 and remained under German occupation. Since the end of WWII, it is - French again.

The Citadelle de Blaye, seen from the ferry, crossing the Gironde.

In "De Bello Gallico" Julius Caesar mentions "Blavia Santorum", what developed into a fortified place in Roman times. Within the 4th century a basilica was built on the rocky promontory, in 625 a Merovingian castle existed here. Legendary Roland, nephew and paladin of Charlemagne, the owner of the sword Durendal (see "Rocamadour"), who got killed at the Battle of Roncevaux, was Lord of Blaye. The Basilica Saint-Romain was a major halt for all medieval pilgrims, but the basilica (and hundreds of houses) got destroyed, when the citadelle was built by Vauban in the 17th century. The Gironde, seen from the citadelle, on a rainy day.

In "De Bello Gallico" Julius Caesar mentions "Blavia Santorum", what developed into a fortified place in Roman times. Within the 4th century a basilica was built on the rocky promontory, in 625 a Merovingian castle existed here. Legendary Roland, nephew and paladin of Charlemagne, the owner of the sword Durendal (see "Rocamadour"), who got killed at the Battle of Roncevaux, was Lord of Blaye. The Basilica Saint-Romain was a major halt for all medieval pilgrims, but the basilica (and hundreds of houses) got destroyed, when the citadelle was built by Vauban in the 17th century. Inside the citadelle was a convent of the Order of Minims, founded by Francis of Paola and known in Bavaria for the "Paulaner Beer". The monks had a nice cloister. The beer is here: www.paulaner.com/

In "De Bello Gallico" Julius Caesar mentions "Blavia Santorum", what developed into a fortified place in Roman times. Within the 4th century a basilica was built on the rocky promontory, in 625 a Merovingian castle existed here. Legendary Roland, nephew and paladin of Charlemagne, the owner of the sword Durendal (see "Rocamadour"), who got killed at the Battle of Roncevaux, was Lord of Blaye. The Basilica Saint-Romain was a major halt for all medieval pilgrims, but the basilica (and hundreds of houses) got destroyed, when the citadelle was built by Vauban in the 17th century. There are different variants of the "Via Turonensis" all leading to Bordeaux. I had decided to cross the Gironde here by the ferry next day - and hoped for better weather.

A summer evening in Blaye. From the top of the fortress (planned by Vauban), once important for the safety of the harbour in Bordeaux, tourists have a wonderful view over Gironde. The fortress is a UNESCO World Heritage Site today. Later I had a bottle of Premieres Cotes de Blaye.