Vauban

Vauban, Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban (1633–1707), was a French military engineer and Marshal of France under Louis XIV. He is regarded as the leading fortress designer of the 17th century and one of the principal architects of modern fortifications.

Vauban's fortification concepts transformed European military architecture. He championed the star fort (trace italienne) and polygonal, low-profile fortresses that could resist artillery fire. His designs integrated layered outworks such as ravelins, lunettes, and covered ways, with glacis slopes and precise artillery placements. He also reformed siegecraft, developing systematic methods for besieging towns and for defending them, including the use of circumvallation and contravallation lines to isolate a fortress and protect besieging troops. His work emphasized thorough surveying, discipline, logistics, and the rapid construction of durable works.

During his career Vauban supervised or designed fortifications for hundreds of towns and frontier garrisons across France and its borders, and he served as royal inspector of fortifications. He also authored manuals on fortifications and siege techniques, contributing to professional military engineering.

Vauban's legacy extends beyond his lifetime: his fortifications are collectively recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known as the Fortifications of Vauban, covering several examples across France. He died in Paris in 1707, leaving a lasting influence on military engineering and the design of defensive works.