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Occupation of Collioure and Port-Vendres meant domination of Argelès to the north, the Elne Plain up to Perpignan (and beyond through Fort de Salses) and the south, opening the road to Barcelona. But to keep possession the French had to control the heights overlooking the harbour and more particularly the “Puig Japone” where Fort Saint Elme stands today.
The Fort’s origins date back over a millennium. In the 9th century a watchtower was built called “La Torre de la Guardia” serving as a lookout for sea invasions from the Normans and the Barbary Corsairs. Some historians believe that the tower’s construction dates back to the Arabic occupation of Collioure in 740. This watchtower became part of more general defences, joining forces with the towers at Madeloc, Massane and Collioure.
During the French crusade, the King of Aragon joined forces with the Albigensians. Until then, the Aragonese had dominated the entire Languedoc region but after the disastrous war, they ceded their rights to their land here. In return, the French abandoned their rights to Catalonia (Treaty of Corbeil 1258).
On 27th June 1344, the King of Aragon, Peter IV the Ceremonious, captured Collioure which at the time belonged to the King of Majorca. He began building the fortifications at the base of the tower.More than a century later, during the first French occupation under Louis XI (1462 to 1493), the ramparts were rebuilt and completed to house a larger garrison.
In 1538, Emperor Charles V decided to build a defensive structure around the original tower. His architects built a six-branched fortress that could resist all artillery of the era, with walls over 25 feet thick! The Fort was completed in 1552. Important reconstruction work also took place at Collioure, Perpignan and Salses. |
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Once the region was protected and fortified, the Emperor concentrated on his mission of reclaiming the land of his Burgundy heritage. His grandmother was none other than Mary of Burgundy, daughter of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy. Hence the wars that followed to the East, in Northern France, in Franche-Comté and Italy…
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On 16th March 1642, the French troops under Louis XIII and Richelieu besieged Collioure, depriving the Spanish troops of any support from Perpignan. On 13th April, the Fort surrendered with honour and the Spanish troops came out “drums banging, flags flying and guns charged”.
The Roussillon occupation became final after the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659. Under Louis XIV, Vauban further improved the defences of Fort Saint Elme (1680) and the region in general through a large number of military constructions. Even defeated, the Spanish remained a constant threat for the King of France.
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During the French Revolution, the region played host to violent clashes. In 1793, Spanish troops recaptured Fort Saint Elme and forced a retreat from the French. Six months later, General Dugommier crushed the Fort and its Spanish garrison under a hail of over 11,000 cannon balls!
After the Revolution, the Fort became a military storage facility until its demilitarisation in 1903. |
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In 1927, the Fort was purchased by a philanthropist who employed talented architects to recreate the glory of its yesteryears (Léon Azéma, Alfred Joffre).
Picasso, on a visit to Collioure, had a dream of buying the Fort but it was never on the market…
From 1942 to 1944, Fort Saint Elme was occupied by the German navy who used it as an observation tower in anticipation of an Allied attack. When the German troops withdrew, Port-Vendres was destroyed and the Fort pillaged.
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