Fort d'Ivry, Military fortification in Ivry-sur-Seine, France
Fort d'Ivry is a military fortification in Ivry-sur-Seine featuring five bastions and stone walls that conceal an extensive network of underground passages. These passages extend for several kilometers beneath the structure, forming a vast subterranean system.
The fort was built between 1841 and 1846 during Louis-Philippe's reign as part of a comprehensive defensive ring around Paris. This ring was a protection project designed by Adolphe Thiers to guard against potential invasions.
The fort's walls carry inscriptions left by 1848 insurgents and anchor carvings made by sailors in 1870, telling stories of different people who passed through. These markings show how various groups left their mark on the structure over time.
The fort is not currently open to visitors as it houses a military facility that stores archives. While you cannot enter the building, you can view the exterior structure and surrounding fortification from outside.
The underground quarries beneath the fort provided stone for Paris construction during the 18th and 19th centuries. Workers left marked pathways through the subterranean network that can still be traced today.
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