157 - VAUBAN (Sébastien Le Prestre de), 1633–1707.

VAUBAN (Sébastien Le Prestre de), 1633–1707. Autograph letter signed “Vauban,” Mons, 9:00 a.m. [1691], to Mr. Cladech, director of fortifications in Dinant. 1 p. 1/4 in-4. A very interesting letter concerning the fortifications of Dinant and the financial compromises imposed by Louis XIV. Vauban has just received a letter from Michel Le Peletier de Souzy, Director General of Fortifications, who wishes to meet with him without delay. He therefore asks Cladech to come and meet him in Mons, bringing all the necessary documentation: “Come here, and also bring the maps you have surveyed of the Dinant area and any papers you may still have in your possession.” The issue to be resolved concerns Dinant’s defensive plan: “The King has indeed approved the crown, but His Majesty also wishes that we limit our expenditures […] to 300,000 livres this year; we must determine where we might make this reduction [...].” The letter comes during a crucial phase in Dinant’s transformation into a stronghold within Louis XIV’s defensive system. As part of the “pré carré,” the city had been the subject of considerable construction work since the 1680s. Cladech, an engineer whom Vauban held in high esteem, oversaw the work on site and served as his principal collaborator in Dinant until 1693. The document is particularly interesting for its mention of the “crown,” a structure that Vauban planned to build on the Malaise plateau in order to control the heights overlooking the city. During his inspection of Dinant in late September 1691, he indeed recommended the construction on this plateau of a “crown” consisting of two bastioned fronts. This letter illustrates very concretely how the engineer’s designs subsequently had to be reconciled with the king’s budgetary constraints: Louis XIV approved the very principle of the fortification but set the annual expenditure at 300,000 livres, forcing Vauban and Cladech to work together to identify possible cost savings. Includes its former cultural property export certificate from the Ministry of Culture (2000) and the original entry from the Charavay 815 catalog (May 1996), no. 44977.