Cherbourg

Cherbourg lies on the north coast of the Cotentin Peninsula, facing the English Channel. Its castle and harbour made it a valuable stronghold during the long struggles between England and France. After repeated sieges and changes of control, the town returned permanently to French rule in 1450, and its medieval defences were restored.

By the seventeenth century the fortifications had fallen into disrepair. Vauban inspected Cherbourg and proposed extensive improvements in 1686; work began the next year but stopped in 1688. After an English attack in 1758, the French government reconsidered the harbour's defence. Under Louis XVI, construction began on a great breakwater in 1783. Work resumed under Napoleon, who also ordered a military harbour excavated, giving the port an increasingly important naval role.