Bastionnées

Bastionnées refers to a military fortification system characterized by the use of bastions. A bastion is a projecting part of a rampart, usually angular in shape, designed to provide flanking fire along the adjacent curtain walls. This design was a significant evolution from earlier medieval castles, which were primarily defended by towers. The bastion system emerged in the late 15th and early 16th centuries during the Italian Wars, coinciding with the increasing effectiveness of artillery.

The key advantage of bastion fortifications, often called "trace italienne" or "star forts," was their ability to deflect cannonballs and provide enfilading fire, meaning fire that sweeps along the length of an enemy's approach. The angled faces of the bastions presented a less vulnerable target to direct artillery fire, and their projections allowed defenders to shoot at attackers approaching the walls from the sides, a vulnerability in older rectangular fortifications.

These forts typically featured a star-shaped layout with multiple bastions projecting outwards from a central enceinte, or main enclosure. The spaces between bastions were often protected by additional features such as ravelins, which were detached triangular fortifications placed in front of the curtain walls. The development of bastionné fortifications profoundly influenced military architecture and siege warfare for centuries, remaining a dominant form of defense until the widespread adoption of rifled artillery and more modern siege techniques in the 19th century.