Fort Carré – Star Fort in Antibes, France | Google Earth Aerial Tour
Using Google Earth to explore the coastline of Antibes, France, I came across one of Europe’s most visually striking fortifications — Fort Carré, a 16th-century star fort overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.
Built during the reign of King Henry II, Fort Carré was designed with angular bastions and defensive geometry to withstand cannon fire and optimize sightlines—hallmarks of Renaissance-era military architecture. Its elevated position on a peninsula provided strategic advantage for defending the coastline from naval attacks.
From above, the fort’s symmetrical star shape is perfectly visible, surrounded by historic walls, moats, and walking paths that stretch across the Cape of Antibes. It later served as a military barracks and prison, even housing Napoleon Bonaparte for a brief period.
The contrast between the fort’s historic walls and the modern urban shoreline reveals how centuries of military strategy still shape the landscape today.
At Weekly Report Films, we use Google Earth to uncover historic forts, forgotten battlefields, and global defense landmarks. Subscribe for weekly aerial journeys into military history and architecture.
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Watch more historic fortifications here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0VUG-LT3hOHx6BYhPqX4ZwvREOCzkjv_
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Across continents and centuries, star forts rise — angular, symmetrical, and built for war.
In this series, Star Forts from Above, we use Google Earth to locate and explore the world’s most striking bastion fortresses — geometric defenses born from cannon warfare and Renaissance engineering.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXbo3aRucJoE8iA8YuRFCCmrPnJaE7Hel