Fort Boyard: history of construction, destruction and restoration

Near the coast of France, in the Bay of Biscay, is the famous Fort Boyard. The history of its creation was longer than the service life for its intended purpose. However, the fort still found a master who not only stopped the process of destruction, but made him famous throughout the world.

The idea of creating a fort

For the first time, the construction was thought in the seventeenth century. At that time, military shipyards were built in the town of Rochefort. They were important to protect from the British fleet, which could penetrate the territory of the Bay of Biscay. Louis the Fourteenth thought about creating Fort Boyard in the middle of the strait. The history of this project remained in the mind of the monarch, as no one dared to take up the implementation of the plan.

The second time the idea of creating a fort originated in the nineteenth century, during the reign of Napoleon the First. The relationship between France and Britain was very tense, so the need to control the Bay of Biscay was revived . On the map, there was a sandbank in the right strait. In 1801 the first works began.

Building

With the beginning of construction, serious problems arose. Stone blocks, which were to be the foundation, were installed on the seabed. This led to the fact that they fell into the ground under the weight of their own weight. The blocks twisted and parted.

The construction was stopped in 1809. The works were resumed only in 1837, at the time of Louis-Philip the First. The reason for this was the same tense situation in relations with Great Britain.

Completed the erection of the fortress in 1857, creating a pretty impressive structure. The length was sixty-eight meters, and the width was thirty-one meters. The height of the walls reached twenty meters.

Using the fort

Fort Boyard, the history of construction which stretched more than fifty years, by the time of its discovery lost relevance. The fact is that during this time the range of artillery guns has significantly increased. From opposite banks they could independently protect the strait from the invasion of enemy ships.

In the fortress was a garrison consisting of two hundred and fifty people. The building was useless, but it remained under the control of the Military Department.

Due to its remoteness from the mainland and its imposing appearance, the fortress was well suited for keeping prisoners. Initially, it housed the Austrians and Prussians, captured in the late nineteenth century. Later, it contained political prisoners.

However, prisoners soon found a different place. It was the island of New Caledonia. Then the fort became the location of the French Navy. The department remained there until 1913.

During the Second World War, the fortress was seriously damaged. This was due to the fact that the Germans practiced shooting at it. After it, the birds settled, which caused the walls damaged by the shelling to become even more unsightly.

In the second half of the twentieth century, the government decided to transfer the fort into private hands. Trades were held. Who became the owner of the French sea fortress?

The hosts of the fort

In 1962, the fate of one of the fortresses of France was decided at auction. The initial cost was seven and a half thousand francs. In the struggle, a special passion was shown by two contenders - the dentist Erik Ert and the representative of the society for the protection of the fort. The dentist from Avorje was three thousand francs more. He became the new owner of the fortress, paying twenty-eight thousand francs for it.

Erth had neither the means nor the desire to restore the fort. Therefore, the structure was destroyed. The reason for this was not only external factors in the form of winds, rains and birds, but also human influence. Tourists dragged the walls over the stones as souvenirs.

In 1989, the owner decided to get rid of the fort and put it up for sale, increasing the cost to one and a half million francs. Acquired his producer Jacques Antoine, who specialized in conducting television games, paying a symbolic sum of 1 franc to the General Council of the Department of Maritime Charente, who ventured and bought a fortification from the dentist. Since that time, the reconstruction of the building began.

Reconstruction of the fort

After the acquisition of the fortress, Jacques Antoine proceeded to reconstruct it. To start, twenty-five meters from her was built a platform, which served as a dock. The huge building was cleaned of the guano, which covered everything around. The thickness of the decomposed bird droppings reached fifty centimeters.

To launch the television game, which supervised the producer, in 1996 the necessary premises were prepared. Subsequent reconstruction took place in 1998 and in 2003-2004. During this time, the external walls were cleaned, the terrace was sealed, the central courtyard was restored.

Popular adventure TV show

The game "Fort Boyard" first appeared on the screens of French television in 1990. The essence of the project is that the team, which consists of six people, must undergo a series of tests of the physical and intellectual plan. For their correct execution, players receive keys and clues that can be used to pick up treasures of the fort at the end of the game.

The game that made the famous Bay of Biscay (on the map it is not difficult to find), has its own legend. According to the plot, the evil, but wise old Fura has been living in the fort for two centuries. He was engaged in looting, collecting everything in his fortress. People cursed the crafty old man, and he lost the ability to cunning. He can pick up the prey by collecting the right number of keys that are scattered around the secret rooms. In each room there are traps. Coping with all the obstacles, you can get rich.

The plot of the game is played out by professional actors, who also ensure that its rules are not violated.

The main characters of the game and their powers:

• La Boul - beats in the tambourine at the beginning and end of the game, accompanies captured prisoners into their cells.
• Passepartout - directs the players into the rooms.
• The tamer Felinda - with the help of her wards (tigers) protects the treasury.

Current rules of the game

During its existence, the game "Fort Boyard" changed the rules several times depending on the participating country and the vision of the organizers. The goal remained unchanged - treasure hunting. Since 2015, the French version includes six stages.

1. "Tests". In fifty minutes the team needs to get the keys that will open the gates of the treasury. You can obtain keys by successfully completing seven tests.
2. "Courtroom". Here the team is sent if it could not collect the right number of keys or has at least one prisoner. The participant must pass a mini-game, otherwise he will go to the prison of the fort.
3. "Adventure". Within thirty minutes the team participates in several adventures. For the victory in each of them, participants receive a cartridge with a hint inside. If the test is not performed after the set time, the prompt burns inside the cartridge.
4. "Jail break". The prisoner can escape from prison, having overcome obstacles for one and a half minutes. If the attempt is unsuccessful, the team is deprived of this time, and this is a minus in the total number of precious minutes spent in the treasury.
5. Council of Shadows. This is an opportunity to extend your stay in the treasury. Three participants undergo mini-tests and, if successful, add ten to thirty seconds to the total time (two minutes).
6. "Treasury". When the team inserts all the keys into the goal, Felinda takes the tigers away. The facilitator gives the participants cartridges with prompts and starts the countdown. Players should guess the keyword by prompts and mark the answer, placing their bodies and cannonballs on the right letters on the floor of the treasure chest. With the correct scenario, the team gets access to the money, but their time is limited. If the team fails, the team receives a consolation prize in the form of three thousand euros.

Fort and cinema

Fort Boyard, whose history began in the nineteenth century, was used in cinematography. So, in the tape "Adventurers" by director Robert Enrico, which was released in 1967, there is a battle scene lasting fifteen minutes. The shooting took place for three weeks. And by the end of the work began a strong storm, so the crew had to be evacuated by helicopter.

Interesting Facts

Only members of Fort Boyard can enter the fortress territory. Tours for tourists are limited to the view of the construction from the sea.

The tele-game has gained popularity all over the world. Stone fort was visited by representatives of more than thirty countries, including Russia and Ukraine.