CITADELLE DE BELLE-ILE

Currently under renovation, the Citadelle de Belle-Ile, steeped in history since the ^16th century, has been the center of numerous European conflicts. With a surface area of 10 ha and ramparts stretching over 4 km, it houses a dozen buildings totalling over 10,000^m2 of floor space, as well as numerous casemates. Built as early as 1549 and fortified by Vauban in 1683, it has served a variety of functions, including as a penal colony in the ^19th century. Occupied during the Second World War, it was sold in 1960 and now houses a historical museum, inaugurated in 1970.