The Fort du Bruissin is a fort in Francheville,

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, near the city of

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...

. Built between 1878 and 1881, the fort is part of the

Séré de Rivières system The system was named after Raymond Adolphe Séré de Rivières, its originator. The system was an ensemble of fortifications built from 1874 along the frontiers and coasts of France. The fortresses were obsolescent by 1914 but were used during ...

of fortifications built in the late 19th century. It has been rehabilitated as a contemporary artists' community. The ''Fort en Jazz'' festival is held there each year.http://www.mairie-francheville69.fr/vc_page38.php page de la mairie sur le fort

Concept and design

The Fort de Bruissin is located about to the southeast of the center of Lyon. Lyon's original protective ring of forts was built in the 1830s at a distance from the city just beyond the range of the artillery of the era, thus denying a potential attacker the means to bombard Lyon. With the introduction of

rifled artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, ...

, the range increased, placing the city once again into jeopardy. In the 1870s a second ring of forts was built farther out to deal with the extended range of artillery. Work on the second ring of eighteen forts was complete by 1893. The Fort du Bruissin was number 13 in the Army's numerical designation of the forts of Lyon. The Fort de Bruissin is a six-sided polygon, with masonry walls surrounded by a defended ditch. The most striking feature of the fort is its entry court, reached through a gatehouse at the head of a bridge over the ditch. A two-level vaulted barracks faces the gatehouse across the court, covered with earth. A terrace or cavalier on top of the barracks was shielded by an earth rampart. The fort was primarily armed with a mixture of 155mm and 120mm guns. located on the cavalier within the walls of the fort. Close-in defense was provided by revolving cannons in large

caponier A caponier is a type of defensive structure in a fortification. Fire from this point could cover the ditch beyond the curtain wall to deter any attempt to storm the wall. The word originates from the French ', meaning "chicken coop" (a ''capon'' ...

s at the corners of the fort, reached by subterranean passages. The fort was initially manned by 294 men, serving a total of thirty artillery pieces.

History

The Fort du Bruissin is part of the second ring of the

fortifications of Lyon The ceintures de Lyon ('Belts of Lyon') were a series of fortifications built between 1830 and 1890 around the city of Lyon, France, to protect the city from foreign invasion. The belts comprised two defensive barriers that included forts, lune ...

. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

the fort was a training center for future officers. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the fort was occupied by the Germans, who used it as an ammunition depot and headquarters. In 1981 the fort was sold to the commune of Francheville. In 1988 the entry was renovated, followed by the barracks in 1989. In 1991 the fort became a community of contemporary artists. It has been the home of the Fort en Jazz festival since 1990.

Arts center

The fort now functions as a center for visual and performing arts. The grounds are a community park and nature preserve. Approximately 3000 square meters of space is available within the fort, with about 800 square meters of exhibition space. A venue for the performing arts is located behind the barracks, to accommodate up to 2000 spectators.

Gallery

File:Fort du Bruissin60.JPG , Underground passage File:Fort du Bruissin012.JPG , Water-filled ditch File:Fort du Bruissin59.JPG , Front façade of the barracks File:Fort du Bruissin46.JPG , Defensive ditch File:Fort du Bruissin24.JPG , Principal entry File:Fort du Bruissin22.JPG , Court between the entry and the main barracks File:Fort du Bruissin26.JPG , Firing port

References

External links