La Citadelle de Calais
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La Citadelle de Calais
Esplanade Jacques Vendroux - 62100 CALAIS
This site was for a long time the main defensive point of Calais. Originally, it was a 13th-century fortified castle from which the city walls extended. Over the centuries, modifications were made. The castle was transformed into a citadel, and the civilian population into a military garrison. Today, it is a place dedicated to relaxation…and remembrance. The citadel contains vestiges of the ramparts of medieval Calais, besieged by the English in 1346-1347. They are visible after the Boulogne Gate, one of the citadel's access points. The parking lot runs alongside the old ramparts, and nothing remains of the 13th-century fortified castle. Around the castle, there was a district of Calais, protected by the walls. There were bourgeois houses, a church, and a palace (the Exchequer) belonging to the English government. When France recaptured Calais in 1558, the district lost its civilian character. After 211 years of English presence, King Francis II wanted to fortify Calais with a stronghold and garrison. The castle and surrounding area were destroyed at the end of the 16th century. Warfare had changed following the development of artillery. This was the era of bastioned fortifications. The renowned engineer Vauban oversaw some modifications and construction work. For several centuries, the citadel housed the Calais garrison. Its last notable act of bravery was the 36-hour resistance of the citadel's men against a major German attack in May 1940. The Germans occupied the citadel during the Occupation. Like the surrounding neighborhood and the port, the citadel was heavily bombed during the war, until the German surrender in September 1944. After the war, the citadel lost its military role and was transformed into a place for walks and sports in the 1960s. It was in this decade that the Stade du Souvenir (Remembrance Stadium) was inaugurated, dedicated to the local Resistance fighters who were detained, tortured, and in some cases died there. Note that the interior of the citadel can be explored on foot or by bicycle. The entrance through the Neptune Gate (Jacques Vendroux Esplanade) is particularly pleasant, with Vauban Square bordering the ramparts.
