Briançon, town of art and history

Briançon, town of art and history, leads you through the centuries, from antiquity to the xxth century.

Discover the town  The Cordeliers church - it will open especially for you, to reveal beautiful XV th and XVI th century wall paintings.  The Fort des Têtes - discover this XVIII th century fort, the central point of Briançon's defensive system, owned by the Ministry of Defence.

Skiing in briançon  At the end of the XIX century, skiing was already used in Norway and Sweden as a means of transport, but remained virtually unknown in France. The courageous Lieutenant Auguste Monnier, who had learnt to ski in Scandinavia, was transferred to the 159th RIA Alpine Infantry Regiment in Briançon in 1902. With the help of Capitain Clerc, he managed to persuade the French military authorities that skiing would greatly improve winter manouevres in mountainous areas.  If you want to know more about the exciting hisory of skiing in this region, you will visit the exhibition "Skiing in Briançon", at Maison du parc national des Ecrins.

Fortified heritage  The city walls - Vauban transformed the town into a real stronghold and made many improvements to the existing plan, such as the Embrun Front (south-west), with a tiered fortification, and notably the false bray.  The city walls are still virtually in their original state, the Italian Front (north), is a good example of Vauban's first system of bastion fortification.  The Asfeld bridge - It was of upmost importance to link the forts with the town of Briançon. The first stone was laid on the 20th April 1730. The stone came from quarries near to Prelles.  After 127 days of work, the vault was completed in 1731 and inaugurated in 1734.  The Salettes Fort - Despite its modest dimensions, the Salettes Fort remains a remarkable military work :  - in a particularly pitturesque mountain setting  - in excellent general condition, thanks to the quality of construction works, and its renovation, carried out recently by the Club du Vieux Manoir  - a very interesting and homogenous building, with the extension of the redoubt and its external casing.

Industrial heritage  The Schappe factory - During the XIXth Century, a new waste silk combing factory was created and developed in Briançon, giving the town's economical development a boost. Substandard silk cocoons were treated, in order to obtain a fine ribbon, a "schappe".

Domestic architecture  The Temple house - The temple house was built in 1575, as indicated by the date inscribed on one of the keystones on the the groundfloor. The ground floor is composed of arcades, with, above, two "noble" levels for residential use, and a smaller attic level . The loft was most probably used as a grain or hay store, frequent in Briançon. The house was known as "the brigands' house" for many years, and later became the "Golden Lion Hotel".  The Pope's House - A civilian hospice, dedicated to Saint Roch and Saint Charles was founded in 1635 by Louis XIII. It burnt down in 1692, and was rebuilt between 1714 and 1717.

Sundials  The sundials which enhance the town's façades recall an art form which was popular in the XVIIIth century, and reached its apogee during the XIX century.  Painted originally on facades and bell-towers of churches and public buildings, it became fashionable during the XIX century to paint sundials on private houses.  Each one is a unique creation, naive or elaborate, and we find a decor painted using fresco techniques, a religious or philosophical motto, and the hour lines.

Religious heritage  The Collegial Church - A papal bull from Pope Celestin III authorised the construction of the new church near to the town in 1196.The church was built on the Grenoble road, surrounded by the cemetery. In the XVIth century it still had a "réal" or external porch supported by two sculpted lions, and a bell tower with a square based dome.