Fort de Bellegarde: 17th-century bastion and former Gestapo prison

Fort de Bellegarde, located above the town of Le Perthus in the Pyrénées-Orientales département of southern France, is a 17th-century bastion fortification. It became French territory after the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659. In 1678, plans for the new fortress were approved by Vauban. The fort was captured by the Spaniards in 1674, but was retaken by Schomberg in 1675. During the War of the Pyrenees, the fortress was besieged by the Spanish in May - June 1793 and by the French between May and September 1794.

During World War II, the fort served a different purpose as a holding prison by the Gestapo for enemy agents and escaped prisoners of war. The site's history in popular culture includes the 1974 film Breakout, starring Charles Bronson. The filmmakers used the fort to portray a helicopter prison escape inspired by an actual incident that took place in Mexico in 1971.

Today, the fort is a monument historique listed since 1967. It is open to the public between April and October, featuring exhibits on the history of the fort, its archaeology, and the surrounding area.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons