The rock where the Citadel sits today has always been a fortified place
The rock where the Citadel sits today has always been a fortified place. Unfortunately, nothing remains of the Roman oppidum (Latin word for settlement in ancient Rome), nor of the fortified castle of the upper Middle Ages, made of precarious fences and towers.
Indeed the fortress which sits today as a crown over the city is a mixture of works from various ages, the result of successive modernisations and remodellings. The upper rampart or covered walkway crowned with a majestic keep goes back to the XIIIth century. Of the two other towers which used to stand there, one has been completely levelled off (western point), the other lowered. After the damages of the Religious Wars, a series of bastioned works was added to this crest line, both in the North and the South, which joined the rampart enclosing the city since the XIVth century. The southern side consists of four walls closed by well protected gates, some of them by drawbridges. On the northern side called "Winter" by Vauban (1633-1707) because of its cold temperature, only three remodelled ones are numbered in the XIXth century. These works attributed without any ground to Jean Errard (engineer in fortifications) are most likely the work of Jehan Sarrazin, an engineer working in the second part of the XVIth century.
In 1692, following the invasion of the upper Durance valley by the Duke of Savoy, Victor Amédée II (1675-1730) Vauban conceived a vast defence project for the city and the fortress. Of that ambitious plan, only the construction of the powder store and of a well (on the northern side) was carried out (for lack of funds – an already existing problem !).
From 1842 to 1860 (Savoy and Nice County were not French yet), some final touches were aimed at updating the Citadel. Referring to the never forgotten recommendations by Vauban, the rampart walls were raised, the two carter's gates of the South side were opened. In the North, the second wall was remodelled, a cistern installed to collect the rain water. Casemates were erected and protected by escarps. The giant underground staircase was built connecting the fortress to the northern gate of the city.
Ever since 1863, funds have been allocated for maintenance only, the Citadel having lost its value as a fortified site with the appearance of artillery using guns allowing long distance shots.
In 1894, military decommissioning was decided. During the First World War, the Citadel became a detention centre for German prisoners.
Classified as a historical monument in 1925, it was bought by the City of Sisteron. An open-air theatre was then created where a festival, one of the oldest in France, is programmed every year.
In 1940, when requisitioned to become a prisoner-of-war camp for Germans, temporary buildings were erected. In August 1944, the bombing of the town left appalling damage which the association Arts, Theatre, Monuments (ATM) succeeds in repairing year after year, restoring the site to its original splendour thanks to admission fees.
http://www.citadelledesisteron.fr
Parking GRATUIT (aux abords de la Citadelle)
Adulte: 6,60 €
Enfant (de 6 à 14 ans): 2,90 € (1,90 € à partir du 2e enfant)
Groupe (à partir de 10 adultes): 5,60 €
Groupe scolaire: 3,20 €
contact@citadelledesisteron.fr