Fours à boulets des îles de Lérins, Military defense furnaces on Lérins Islands, Cannes, France
Four specialized furnaces stand on Saint-Honorat and Sainte-Marguerite islands, built to heat cannonballs for coastal artillery defense systems.
Napoleon Bonaparte ordered the construction of these furnaces in 1793 as part of five strategic batteries protecting the Mediterranean coastline.
The furnaces represent French military engineering excellence, demonstrating advanced heating techniques that could produce one incendiary cannonball every ten minutes.
The structures remain accessible through guided tours departing from Cannes harbor to the Lérins Islands throughout the year.
Each furnace featured a rail system that guided cannonballs from the upper loading area to the lower chamber, where lateral fires heated them.
Location: Cannes
GPS coordinates: 43.50780,7.05397
Latest update: June 23, 2025 10:54
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