Populated by strange characters like Olivier Minne, Père Fouras, Passe-Partout or Passe-Muraille, Fort Boyard is now in trouble. Located in the open sea and nine kilometers from the coast, the monument has suffered the ravages of time and the assaults of the sea. So much so that it “is today threatened with destruction”, according to Sylvie Marcilly, president of the department of Charente Maritime.
Buried by the force of the ocean and winter storms, over the years the fort has lost the spur and the docking harbor which protected it from the onslaught of the waves. Without these elements, the building must face “attacks from swells and significant crossings from which residual water must be evacuated and can cause damage inside the fort”, specifies the department, owner of the premises.
The fort will regain its original silhouette
“To avoid the worst”, the decision was therefore made to undertake a major renovation project with a budget of 44 million euros which was allocated. The project will start in 2025 and aims to restore the fort, completed in 1857, to its original silhouette. Masonry blocks will thus be installed around the entire perimeter of the fort, the spur and the docking harbor reconstructed identically.
To finance the project, which promises to be “perilous”, the department will request subsidies from the European Union, the State and the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. A call for patronage and donations will also be launched in the coming months to renovate the fort, classified as a historic monument. Completion of the work is planned for the end of 2027 or the beginning of 2028.
On this date, the general public will then have the chance to discover the depths of the fort with paid visits which will be organized. “The capacity will be small, reservations will be made in advance but this will compensate for the financial effort of the department. And we will make the dreams of many children come true! », indicated this Friday during a conference Sylvie Marcilly, cited by The Parisian.