Fort de Nogent, Military fortification in Fontenay-sous-Bois, France.
Fort de Nogent is a military fortification in Fontenay-sous-Bois with a pentagonal bastioned design and thick defensive walls surrounded by deep ditches. The structure occupies significant ground with its geometric ramparts and solidly built perimeter that dominates the local landscape.
The fort was built between 1841 and 1848 under the direction of Guillaume Dode de la Brunerie as part of the first defensive ring protecting Paris. It was one of the strategic fortifications erected to guard against potential invasions during that period.
The fort's name references Nogent-sur-Marne, though it physically stands in Fontenay-sous-Bois and shapes the character of the surrounding area. Today it serves the French Foreign Legion and has become woven into the local community's daily life.
The site is currently used by the French Foreign Legion as a recruitment center and is generally not open to regular visitors. The best way to experience the structure is through an exterior view from the surrounding area, where the massive fortifications can be observed from outside.
The fort has a musical history connected to detained Algerian officers who sang popular French songs while imprisoned here, a tradition that later influenced Foreign Legion culture. This artistic aspect of its past is often overlooked by those who visit or pass by.
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