Fort Saint-André à Villeneuve-lez-Avignon
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A strategic role. Commissioned in the late 13th century by Philip the Fair but only built in 1360 under John the Good, the fort stood at the frontier with the Holy Roman Empire and near the papal residence in Avignon.

A symbol of royal power. The fort had a permanent garrison, a court of justice and a prison, with graffiti by prisoners from the 18th and 19th centuries. Its strategic significance, however, declined in 1480 when Provence became part of France. Soldiers continued to occupy the site until 1792.