Bron

The mission of the Fort at Bron was to prevent any attacker arriving from the heights of Chassieu or Saint-Priest from advancing on Lyon or setting up artillery that could then bombard the city. Its trapezoidal shape, very typical of polygonal fortifications, is protected around its entire perimeter by a dry moat that prevents an infantry attack from claiming the central redoubt. The buildings were covered with a thick layer of earth to absorb the shock of projectiles (explosion layer). In time of war, the garrison was increased to 841 men, infantry and artillerymen. An assortment of warehouses contained ammunition, foodstuffs, fuel, various equipment, etc. 

Progress in artillery technology rather quickly left this type of fortification behind. The dissuasive role of any fortress, however, never entirely vanished. It was kept on, partly armed until 1914. After 1920, it served only a logistical role for the nearby airbase. It was occupied by the Germans in 1942, and was finally given over to the Courly (Greater Lyon) in 1975, to be used as support for huge water reservoirs. The city of Bron uses it to store city equipment on the basis of an empthyteutic long lease granted by what has now become the Région.