Network of the major sites of Vauban

The Réseau of the major sites of Vauban is an association of cities created the March 30th 2005 on the initiative of the Town of Besancon and gathering 14 sites representative of the system of fortifications set up by Vauban. Its objective is the development and the inscription of the remarkable work of the military architect Vauban on the Liste of the world heritage of UNESCO. The candidates' file was retained on January 5th, 2007 by the Ministère of the Culture to represent the France.

History

In 2003, the town of Besancon studies the possibility of a candidature for the world heritage of UNESCO. After having taken the opinion of specialists, it proves to be necessary to assemble a candidature in the form of a network representing the whole of the genius of Vauban in order to answer as well as possible the criteria emitted by UNESCO. A first circle of eight sites is formed in 2005 then a final list of fourteen sites is finally validated by a scientific advice the March 31st 2006. In competition with the file gathering the sites of Le Corbusier (each country which can present one dossier each year), the Vauban network is finally retained the January 5th 2007 by the Ministère of the Culture whereas the celebrations begin from tercentenary from died from the architect.

Choice of the sites

The work of Vauban is so monumental - it conceived and followed the realization of more than 150 fortified towns as well as vast civil works to France, as the Canal of the South - that only a series of sites makes it possible to illustrate all the facets of them. This one, identified starting from a scientific analysis, crosses several typological criteria. Thus, each famous site:
  • evolution of the defensive designs of Vauban, organized after him of first, second and third system.
  • a complete geographical variation (sites of plain, seaside and mountain),
  • the type of work: extremely, urban enclosure or citadel.

The sites were also selected on a criterion of authenticity and conservation. They all were carried out the alive one or according to the projects of Vauban. They did not know major change during the centuries: they are thus always perceptible in the state wanted by the engineer. Lastly, landscape quality was explicitly integrated like selection criteria: the majority of the sites is located within a natural and landscape framework exceptional from their geographical diversity (seaside, plain, mountain).

List sites

The sites candidates composing this series are, alphabetically:

References

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