Fort de Feyzin: A Fort in Lyon’s Second Defensive Belt
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.4
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- France
- Primary era
- Modern
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Modern
- Civilizations
- French
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Fort
On this page6 sections
History
Fort de Feyzin is a French fortification in Feyzin, France, built between 1875 and 1877 as part of Lyon’s second belt of forts and the Séré de Rivières system, a network of French fortifications developed in the late nineteenth century under military engineer Raymond Adolphe Séré de Rivières.
Defensive purpose and garrison
The belt also included the forts of Bron, Vancia, and Mont Verdun. Fort de Feyzin was intended to defend Lyon from the south and protect Fort de Champvillard, the RN7 road, Solaize, Saint-Symphorien-d’Ozon, and Fort de Corbas. It served chiefly as a garrison for the army and the National Gendarmerie, France’s military force with policing duties. The garrison numbered 850 soldiers.
Municipal ownership and reuse
The municipality of Feyzin took ownership in July 2003. Work in 2008 rehabilitated the entrance pavilion and renovated the entrance building and a rolling bridge over a ditch.
An equestrian center opened at the fort on 27 July 2013. It uses former army stables and is managed for the municipality by the UCPA, a French organization that runs sports and outdoor activities. Bioforce, an institute focused on humanitarian training, also uses the fort. A broader redevelopment program set out plans for leisure activities such as archery and orienteering, as well as training for firefighters, gendarmes, and humanitarian associations.
Remains
The fort occupies 26 wooded hectares at an elevation of 230 metres and contains 22,000 square metres of built area. It lies near the center of Feyzin-le-Haut and the Trois Cerisiers recreation area. Its grounds combine defensive features, paths, and buildings now used for equestrian activities.
Defensive features and grounds
The physical features include ditches, an entrance pavilion, and a rolling bridge, a movable bridge mounted on rollers that could be withdrawn from the crossing. A military path runs beside a caponier, a fortified structure designed to defend a fort’s ditch. Stairs at a postern, a secondary entrance or passage through a fortification, and a botanical trail are also present.
Former army stables
The former army stables have been adapted to accommodate 20 to 30 ponies. The equestrian facilities include a covered riding arena and an open-air riding ring.
