Marie-Thérèse Castle

The aim of this centre, which opened to the general public in 2007, is to enable visitors to discover the architectural history of the fortification, its adaptation to the mountains and the original, complex and little-known history of the Alpine frontier, in its European dimension. It is in this spirit that the permanent bilingual (French-Italian) museographic space was conceived, which retraces the history of the military place and of Savoy.

The Marie-Thérèse Redoubt is one of the five forts that make up the Esseillon barrier, in Haute Maurienne Vanoise. This fortified complex was built by the Kingdom of Sardinia at the beginning of the 19th century, on the road to the Mont-Cenis pass, then the main route through the Western Alps. During a visit, discover more about the kings and queens of the House of Savoy, the architects, engineers, spies, Sardinian and French soldiers, and the inhabitants of Aussois and Avrieux who wrote the history of the Alpine frontier and of the Esseillon.

Guided tour with a Savoie Mont Blanc Heritage Guide, on request.

Fort Marie-Thérèse offers room hire for private events, companies, groups and individuals. Large indoor and outdoor spaces with a view of the Vanoise and the other forts in a privileged setting.

For schools:

Half-day educational workshop: presentation of the site and visit, then distribution of the "Spy Booklet". The students fill it in while walking around the fort. This booklet is intended for classes of CE2, CM1 and CM2. We also provide the teacher with a preparation booklet.

One hour visit: presentation of the site and visit, then distribution of a simplified educational support. The children fill it in while walking around the fort. This visit is particularly aimed at discovery classes.