Redoute du Moulin de Saquet, 19th century fortification in Vitry-sur-Seine, France
The Redoute du Moulin de Saquet is a 19th century earthwork fortification located between Fort d'Ivry and the Hautes-Bruyères redoubt on the southern edge of Paris. It formed part of a four-fort defense network across Vitry-sur-Seine territory that controlled access to the Seine River and the approaches toward Villejuif.
The fortification was hastily built in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War to reinforce Paris' southern defenses against advancing German forces. During the Paris Commune that followed, it became a site of intense fighting as communards held it as a strategic position until their defeat in May 1871.
The fortification takes its name from a former windmill demolished in 1857, and this heritage lives on through local street names like Avenue du Moulin-de-Saquet. The naming reflects how the site's past remains woven into the urban fabric of the area today.
The ruins sit in a residential area south of Paris and are surrounded by paths and green spaces that allow visitors to explore the surviving structures. You can wander through independently, though you should expect uneven ground and areas covered by vegetation.
The redoubt was one of the last positions defended by Paris Commune fighters during their final collapse in May 1871, making it a rare place where visitors can see the built traces of that brief but intense uprising. The earthen walls still bear the marks of sustained combat from that period.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
