# Fort du Mont-Alban

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Content updated: 2026-06-22

Fort du Mont-Alban stands on Mont Boron in Nice, France, at roughly 220 metres above sea level. Its polygonal enclosure follows the hill’s uneven ground and measures about 40 by 46 metres.

Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy, ordered construction between 1557 and 1560 to strengthen Savoy’s maritime defences. Domenico Ponsello designed it, while André Provana de Leyni supervised construction. The stronghold linked the defences of Nice and Villefranche-sur-Mer, controlling the route between them and overlooking Villefranche harbour. It became a prison in the late seventeenth century and surrendered peacefully in 1661. French troops captured it in 1744 and occupied it again in 1792, before bombing struck the site during the 1944 liberation battles.

The monument retains its form, with no major alterations recorded since construction. Its enclosure and surviving moats gained protection in 1909 and 1913, while the surrounding ground received protection in 1923. From the terrace, you can see Nice, Villefranche harbour, the Italian border, and the Estérel range. Some visitors have reported seeing Corsica on clear days.

- City: [Nice](https://mytuur.com/en/city/nice/)

## Photos

- ![](https://mytuur-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/image_FortduMontAlban_683dbadc717a3e13ab6f7273_0.jpg) — [Image: wikimedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mt-Alban-Face-Est-sunrise.JPG)
- ![](https://mytuur-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/image_FortduMontAlban_683dbadc717a3e13ab6f7273_1.jpg) — [Image: wikimedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vue_Face_Ouest_et_Nord_du_Fort_du_Mont_Alban.jpg)
- ![](https://mytuur-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/image_FortduMontAlban_683dbadc717a3e13ab6f7273_2.jpg) — [Image: wikimedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fort_Mont_Alban_echauguettes_sud.JPG)
- ![](https://mytuur-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/image_FortduMontAlban_683dbadc717a3e13ab6f7273_3.jpg) — [Image: wikimedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Porto_di_Villafranca_au_XVIIIe.jpg)
- ![](https://mytuur-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/image_FortduMontAlban_683dbadc717a3e13ab6f7273_4.jpg) — [Image: wikimedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cap_Ferrat_Monaco_matin.JPG)

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