La Forteresse de Salses -anglais-

PATRIMOINE, 1998. paperback. Very Good. 4x0x8. Editions du Patrimoine [Published date: 1998]. Soft cover, 56 pp. Text in English. In very good condition. Black pictorial paper covers with French flaps have light bumping to edges and corners and light overall scuffing. Binding tight. Pages clean and unmarked. NOT Ex-library. NO remainder marks. A Comprehensive overview of the The Fort de Salses, a Catalan fortress in the commune of Salses-le-Chateau, situated in the French departement of Pyrenees. Chapters include: Salses in the Middle Ages: The early Castle; The rising power of the Catholic Monarchs; The birth of a fort (1497 - 1503); The siege of 1503; Salses and other 15th century forts; Salses in the 17th century; The fort from the 18th century until the present day. Richly illustrated with maps, illustrations, architectural drawings and photos throughout [From back cover] The deceptive elegance of Salses Fort makes it hard to imagine that it was originally built for military purposes. Crouching like a wild animal at the foot of the Corbieres Mountains, at the point where the neck of the coastal plain opens out, this formidable fortified body controlled the corridor between Leucate Lagoon and Salses, which was then the only means of passage into Hispania, used by conquerors and invaders alike. There the fort stood guard over the Spanish frontier, keeping a constant watch on enemy activity to the north. It fulfilled that function perfectly from its first siege in 1505 until the middle of the seventeenth century. In 1659 Roussillon was ceded to France, Salses Fort became French and its military history thus came to an end. In its day it had been one of the greatest modem forts in Europe, withstanding attack by its very mass. The identity of its architect has only recently been discovered.