Fort Boyard is an oval-shaped defense structure off the French west coast that became known to the general public mainly because a television game was recorded there. There are currently concerns about the monument. The foundation is in danger of being washed away.
The fort seen from the air (CC BY-SA 3.0 – Lapi – wiki)Fort Boyard is located between the islands of Île d’Aix and Île d’Oléron. Already in the time of Louis XIV (1638-1715) there was talk of building a fort at this location. The fort had to make an important contribution to the defense of Rochefort against English attacks. However, after many discussions, the construction of the fort was abandoned during this period.
In 1801, Napoleon Bonaparte ordered the fort to be built. It had to be built as a kind of stone ship on a reef of sand and stone. Three years after Napoleon decided that the fort should be built, construction began. However, the work did not go smoothly. Construction was delayed due to heavy storms and attacks by the British, which ultimately brought work to a complete standstill after some time. In 1809 another attempt was made to complete the fort, but this time too the work was soon interrupted.
Completion
Thirty years later, King Louis Philip I (1773-1850) ordered the fort to be completed. This at a time when tensions between France and England were rising again. In 1857 the fort was finally completed and could be put into use. The fort could accommodate a garrison of two hundred and fifty men. The fort retained a military function until 1913.
Inside of Fort Boyard (CC BY-SA 4.0 – Bmarceau – wiki)
Game show
Since the 1990s, the fort has regularly been the setting for the television program Les Clés de Fort Boyard (The Keys of Fort Boyard). The game show was broadcast not only in France, but also in countries such as Russia, the United States, Israel and the Netherlands and Belgium. This made the historic fort world famous.
New foundation
In the spring of 2024, it was announced that the foundation of the monument was in danger of collapsing due to higher water levels. To preserve the historic fort, a new concrete foundation will have to be built in the coming years. The entire operation is estimated to cost between 36 and 44 million euros and will be largely funded by government subsidies and money from the European Union.
The intention is that the fort can be visited by the public again after the recovery operation. Currently that is not the case. There are boat trips past Fort Boyard.
Dutch episode of the game show Fort Boyard:
