To “save” Fort Boyard: a call for donations launched in France

Nine million euros (CA$13.5 million) to help “save” Fort Boyard, an emblematic military building off the French coast that has become the setting for a game show duplicated around the world: this is the objective of a donation drive launched on Tuesday.

The show Fort Boyardlaunched in 1990 in France, gave rise to more than 1,500 episodes of this successful game show in around forty countries, making the fort a star.

All year round, sea trips take thousands of people to admire the oval silhouette of the monument measuring 68 by 31 meters, which can only be approached by boat or helicopter.

In total, “36.6 million euros excluding tax are needed [54,9 M$ CA] to save” this 19th century monument^e century weakened by the assaults of the Atlantic Ocean, recalled Ghislaine Guillen, co-leader of the “Save Fort Boyard” project and elected to the departmental council, owner of the site since 1989.

Three quarters of this sum have already been financed, in particular by the Department, but there remains 9 million euros to find.

“We are going to mobilize the local population, the general public and corporate sponsorship,” assured Alexandre Giularis, the general director of the Heritage Foundation.

If donations exceeded this amount, the money would then be used to repair the fort itself, as stones were falling apart and cracks were appearing. These repairs have not yet been budgeted.

Work is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2025 and is expected to be completed in 2028.

Built between 1803 and 1857, a former military structure that became a prison between the island of Oléron and the island of Aix, Fort Boyard had fallen into disrepair before being listed as a historic monument. Bought in 1988 by Jacques Antoine, producer of television games, it was sold the following year to the department for a symbolic franc, with the latter responsible for ensuring its maintenance.

After the work, the general public will be able to visit Fort Boyard in small groups of around 25 people. The price of the visit has not yet been determined.