Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Forts can be dull, utilitarian structures, but here are four forts and one group of forts in France that are rich with significance and interest.
Earlier versions of the descriptions of these forts first appeared in 1001 Amazing Places You Must See Before You Die
, edited by Richard Cavendish (2016). Writers’ names appear in parentheses.
Citadel of Île Sainte-Marguerite (off Cannes)
Île Sainte-Marguerite lies half a mile (800 meters) from the Riviera town of Cannes. Until the 20th century, the fort on the island was home to many famous prisoners of the French state. The most well-known of these is the so-called man in the iron mask a captive of King Louis XIV whose identity was an obsessively kept secret.