Citadel Henri IV

The citadel was built between 1595 and 1598 on the orders of Henri IV following his 1594 siege of the League town. To do this, two entire districts - between 2 and 300 houses, two churches and Laon's covered market - were completely razed to the ground! Note the gateway and its two bastions: they face the town, as if to keep it at bay...

The gate, decorated with the king's coat of arms and bearing a dedication ("Built by Henry the Great in 1595, was restored and perfected by Louis Philippe I in 1835"), was fitted with a Poncelet drawbridge in 1847.

It is said that his plans were criticized by Vauban himself, who even declared that his engineer should have been hung from the gallows!