Prison, fort, and film: Fort de Bellegarde's tumultuous past

Fort de Bellegarde, located above the town of Le Perthus in France, was built in the 17th century and became a French territory after the Treaty of the Pyrenees (1659). The fort, originally designed by Vauban, was the site of battles against the Spaniards in both 1674 and 1793. During the War of the Pyrenees, it was besieged by both Spanish and French forces. The fortress even fell to the Spaniards for a brief period in 1674, but it was retaken by Schomberg the following year.

After serving as a military structure, the fort also played a significant role during World War II. It was used as a detention center by the Gestapo for escaped prisoners of war and enemy agents. Scenes from the 1974 movie 'Breakout', starring Charles Bronson, were filmed at the fort, recreating a real-life helicopter prison escape that occurred in Mexico in 1971. Today, Fort de Bellegarde is open to the public from April to October, offering exhibits on its history, archaeology, and the surrounding area. As a French monument historique, it has been listed since 1967.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons