Fort Louvois, also referred to as Fort du Chapus, is a defensive fortress constructed on the Chapus rock, positioned across from the Château-d’Oléron. citadel, right by the sea, within the municipality of Bourcefranc-le-Chapus. It belongs to the Charente archipelago, situated in the department of Charente-Maritime.
The history of Fort Louvois
The project was initiated by the Marquis de Louvois , who was the Minister of War at that time. Engineer François Ferry was assigned to carry out the construction. After Louvois' death, Vauban scaled down the project by limiting the construction to a portion of the originally planned oval shape, giving it its final horseshoe shape.
Historic monument
The fort was given the status of a historic monument on June 14, 1929. It faced intense bombing during World War II when Marennes was liberated on September 10, 1944. The municipality of Bourcefranc-le-Chapus bought the fort from the Central Domain Administration and it was fully restored in the 1960s under the supervision of the DRAC.
Since 1972, Fort Louvois has housed the Oyster Museum and a permanent exhibition displaying its history. Visitors can see models of the coastal fortifications in Charente as well.
The fort in video
Fort Louvois and Fort Boyard
