Fort de Brégançon: the alternative to Camp David?

The very old Fort de Brégançon, which would be an alternative to Camp David, recently opened its doors to the public. From now on, it will welcome visitors continuously from 14 May to 30 September. A brief look back at the past.

Previously, this fort served as the private residence of the presidents of the French Fifth Republic. It was President François Hollande who decided that the former military fortress would be opened to the public. The fort, previously managed by the Élysée, has been under the responsibility of the Centre des Monuments Nationaux since October 2013.

In recent years, the fort had lost favour with politicians who preferred staying at other more fashionable residences such as Cap Nègre or the Lanterne residence in Versailles. However, it continued to spark interest among local residents and tourists who wished to visit this historic holiday destination.

The tour was designed as a visit through the private lives of the Fifth Republic presidents. From the contemporary-style work room created by Georges Pompidou and his wife, both passionate about design, through to the chapel salon with its magnificent white and gilded carved woodwork, all the way to the president’s anteroom, everything is designed to give visitors the impression of being in a president’s shoes.

The green salon decorated by Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, the dining room, or the study are among the rooms where the numerous presidential gifts offered by emissaries charged with preserving friendly relations between France and other countries are displayed.

Thanks to its strategic position, the island has allowed since its creation for the monitoring of the harbours of Hyères and Toulon. Occupied from 128 BCE by Charles d’Anjou and Jeanne of Naples, the fort subsequently became state property during the French Revolution. Rented for a few years to private individuals, it welcomed General de Gaulle in 1964 who, charmed by the place, decided to make it a presidential residence 4 years later. It was the navy architect, Pierre-Jean Guth, who was tasked with fitting out the fort to convert it into a comfortable holiday retreat.

It was then that the tradition began, leading presidents such as Georges Pompidou, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing and François Mitterrand to succeed one another there to spend their holidays.

While Jacques Chirac admitted to being deeply bored there and Nicolas Sarkozy, like François Hollande, stayed only one summer, the residence has lost none of its authentic charm and opens its doors wide to anyone wishing to visit it.

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