Fort de Brégançon

Fort de Brégançon is a fortress on a rocky islet off Cabasson, in the commune of Bormes-les-Mimosas on the Var coast between Toulon and Le Lavandou. It has been the official summer retreat of French presidents since 1968 and can be seen only on a booked guided tour, which suits history lovers and visitors curious about the presidency.

Pergantion and the medieval fortress

The fort stands about 35 m above the sea. A settlement called Pergantion is mentioned here in the 6th century by the Greek geographer Stephanus of Byzantium, and a seigneurie existed from the late 10th century. The site passed to the Crown's domain in 1246, after Beatrice of Provence married Charles of Anjou, brother of Louis IX. The fortress was moved onto the islet between 1481 and 1483, and from the 16th to the 18th century it was armed for coastal defence. Catherine de' Medici and Charles IX stopped here in 1564.

Bonaparte's cannons to wartime requisition

Bonaparte came to know the fort after Toulon was retaken from the royalists, repaired it in the 1790s and, once in power, equipped it with 23 cannons. It was decommissioned after the First World War, leased to Robert Bellanger, and requisitioned by a German army company in the Second World War. Charles de Gaulle spent one night here in August 1964 during the Operation Dragoon commemorations.

Listed in 1968, then opened by Hollande

On 25 September 1968 the fort and islet were listed as historic monuments and became a presidential residence. François Hollande ended that use for a time and opened the site to the public under the Centre des monuments nationaux, with the first public visits in 2014. Emmanuel Macron resumed presidential stays, and the fort makes national news whenever a president spends a summer break there.

Cabasson view and Bormes-les-Mimosas

Plage de Cabasson, about 750 m away, gives the best free view of the fort on its rock. Plage de l'Estagnol is about 3 km along the coast, Cap Bénat 3 km and the hilltop village of Bormes-les-Mimosas about 12 km. Public transport is limited, so a car is the practical choice.