Cours du Fort a name that whispers secrets. It stands not as a grand boulevard but a quiet passage. A place where history unfolds not in sweeping gestures but subtle nuances. Cours du Fort connects Fontenay-sous-Bois to its past. It’s more than just a street. It is a living testament to the Fort de Nogent. This imposing structure a pentagonal giant. Its ramparts once guarded Paris. Today its legacy echoes in the very name Cours du Fort.
Imagine the 1840s. Adolphe Thiers Prime Minister under Louis-Philippe. He ordered the construction of seventeen forts to protect Paris. The Fort de Nogent was one. It rose from the earth a symbol of national security. Built in the manner of Vauban its 200-meter sides formed a formidable barrier. The construction took eight years. Guillaume Dode de la Brunerie oversaw the project.
The Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871 tested the fort’s mettle. Commandant Pistoulet led its defense. Chef d’Escadron David commanded its artillery. Imagine the relentless bombardment. The Prussian guns rained down destruction. The fort held. It held until the French surrender. The fort’s defenders finally yielded on 26 January 1871.
Years later in 1944 the battle raged once more. German troops and French Resistance fighters clashed. Violent combat rocked Cours du Fort. The echoes of gunfire still linger. Thirty Fontenaysiens perished. The Germans withdrew after shelling the train depot.
The Fort de Nogent’s story continues. It served as an internment center during the Algerian War. Nearly 200 officers including those from the 1st REP. They were held under fortress arrest. Their detention lasted almost two months. They left singing “Non je ne regrette rien”.
Today the fort houses a Foreign Legion recruitment center. Since 2006-2007 a Salvation Army winter shelter finds a home within its walls. Cours du Fort reflects the fort’s many lives. A street named for a structure. A structure that has borne witness to war peace and resilience. As you walk Cours du Fort remember its history. Remember the stories it silently tells. The spirit of the Fort de Nogent lives on. Its legacy. Cours du Fort.