Marquis de Vauban was a Marshal of France and the foremost military engineer of his age. He is known for his skill in both designing fortifications and breaking through them. He also advised Louis XIV on how to consolidate France's borders, to make them more defensible. Vauban made a radical suggestion of giving up some land that was indefensible to allow for a stronger, less porous border with France's neighbours.
His ideas informed many of the fortifications in Canada including the Halifax Citadel and Fort Beausejour.
So any way, we visited Neuf Brisach today. The city's layout was that of an 'ideal city', accoring to Vauban, with a regular square grid street pattern inside an octagonal fortification. Generous space for a central square across the four blocks at the middle, flanked by an impressive church. Individual blocks were offered for private development, either as affluent houses in private gardens, or as properties for commercial rent. Simpler housing was provided in long tenement blocks, built inside each curtain wall, which also had the effect of shielding the better houses from the risk of cannon fire. Access was provided by large gateways in the principal four curtain walls.
Looking towards one of the entrances
Inside the church.
Two dorks and two storks.
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