Fort du Larmont inférieur: A Nineteenth-Century Mountain Fort in France
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.6
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- France
- Primary era
- Modern
- Eras represented
- Modern
- Civilizations
- French
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Fort
On this page8 sections
History
Fort du Larmont inférieur, also briefly known as Fort Malher, is a nineteenth-century French mountain fort in La Cluse-et-Mijoux, France. Built between 1845 and 1851, it belonged to a fortification program created in 1840 in response to the increased range of artillery and predates the Séré de Rivières system, the network of French fortifications developed after the Franco-Prussian War to defend strategic borders and routes. The fort protected Fort de Joux, strengthened the defence of the Pontarlier defile, and supported troops operating on the summit of Larmont.
Construction and the Franco-Prussian War
Originally called Fort neuf, the fort formed part of a defensive complex that also included Fort du Larmont supérieur, Fort de Joux, and Fort de Saint-Antoine. Its position allowed it to contribute to the defence of the mountain passage and to assist military operations around Larmont.
On 1 and 2 February 1871, during the closing phase of the Franco-Prussian War, the fort helped cover the retreat of the Army of the East toward Switzerland. Local tradition also preserves the exploits of Léandre Merchet, a carpenter from La Cluse who later served as the fort’s battery keeper. He died there after an accident in 1875, although the stories of his exploits are probably exaggerated.
Destruction and rebuilding
In 1877, customs officers seized three tonnes of explosives. The explosives detonated and completely destroyed the fort’s buildings. The fort was rebuilt between 1882 and 1884, including its two barracks.
A decree of 21 January 1887 temporarily renamed the fort Fort Malher in honour of Jean-Pierre Firmin Malher, a general of the Revolutionary era. Théophile Ferron, who succeeded Georges Boulanger as Minister of War, revoked the decree on 13 October 1887. The former name was officially restored, although both names remained on the entrance pediment.
Twentieth-century military use and preservation
In 1937, the fort was adapted as part of the Jura sector of the Maginot Line, France’s twentieth-century system of fortified positions built for defence against invasion. Its last military presence dates to 1947. The fort remained Army property until 1958, when it was acquired together with Fort de Joux by the Pontarlier tourist association, formed by the town of Pontarlier and the commune of La Cluse-et-Mijoux. The Grand Pontarlier intermunicipal community is its current owner.
Fort du Larmont inférieur was entered on the historic-monuments register on 14 March 1968. An order of 20 January 2014 classified the fort, its blockhouse, and their surroundings.
Remains
Mountain fort and connected defences
Fort du Larmont inférieur is a bastionless mountain fort at an altitude of 1,032 metres in the commune of La Cluse-et-Mijoux, in the Doubs department. Several parts were cut directly into the rock, and the complex extends through six levels of rooms. Its surviving arrangement includes two single-storey barracks rebuilt in 1882, together with the other rooms and defensive works that form the fortified complex.
Larmont fortin
At the bottom of the defile stands a defensive guardhouse known as the Larmont fortin. It was built between 1845 and 1851, modified between 1882 and 1884, and could accommodate 20 men. A covered way with 230 steps links the guardhouse to the fort. Its protective walls contain loopholes for rifle fire.
Chauffaud blockhouse
In 1937, the Larmont fortin was adapted into the Chauffaud blockhouse of the Maginot Line. A blockhouse is a small fortified structure intended to shelter weapons and troops. A type no. 3 antitank barrier stood in front of it, designed to obstruct the movement of armoured vehicles.
