Many hearing the name of Fort Boyard they will remember the famous television show but today the fortress dreamed of by the Sun King it is in danger: in order to preserve it, 37 million euros are needed for restoration work. The structure, imagined by Louis XIV but completed only two centuries later by Napoleonis the icon of a human enterprise that wanted to challenge the power of the Atlantic. What made her famous to most was a television program which reached 40 countries.
Discovering Fort Boyard
Fort Boyard is located on the French western coasts and more precisely in the Strait of Pertuis d’Antioche. He was first appointed by Re Sole who wanted it so much. An unfinished dream however, which saw its birth only a few years later thanks to Napoleon Bonaparte who built it to protect the coast. The imposing construction was born as military fortress it was then used as an icon for a TV program but today it needs major restoration work. It is located right between the two islets of Oléron e Aix and it almost seems to emerge from the water with an austere structure and rounded walls enriched by very few openings: after all it was a military work and had to be impregnable.
Fort Boyard stars on TV
It has been officially declared national monument in the 1950s, but today Fort Boyard can be done admired only from the sea with its unmistakable profile, or from above through some helicopter excursions. No one has the opportunity to visit itor at least for the moment, since the plans also include the possibility of reopening to the public in small groups. The fame of the architectural work is due to its namesake TV program launched in France in 1990 and which has had over 1500 episodes over time. Then broadcast between the United Kingdom, Canada and 40 other countries, it even had an attempted adaptation in Italy under the direction of Paolo Bonolis but without success. The game involved a challenge between teams: the competitors faced puzzles, strategy games and physical tests, collecting points and then conquering the treasure kept inside the fort.
The plan to save it and turn it into a tourist attraction
What was thought to save him? A fundraiser has officially started to intervene in guardianship of Fort Boyard. The work that bravely challenged the Atlantic Ocean in a wild stretch that extends from the border with Spain to the tips of Pointe du Van and Pointe du Raz in Brittany off the coast between Bordeaux and Brest.
Speaking in an official note is Ghislaine Guillenco-director of the project “Save Fort Boyard” and representative of the departmental council. His voice highlighted the need of 36.6 million euros to complete the restoration work, three-quarters of which already have coverage guaranteed by financing from Charente Maritime. 9 million euros are missing which we hope to achieve through public and private donations.
The works include making the structure safe and aim to welcome small groups of visitors. The renovation time could include several years, completing everything by 2028. If the minimum ceiling is exceeded through fundraising, the money will be invested to consolidate the stones and repair the cracks.
