THE NAPOLEONIAN STUDIES CENTER   

Safeguarding of the Château de Pont-de-Briques

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In 1803 Napoleon deciding to put an end to England, and, taking up the idea of a military expedition, went to Boulogne-sur-Mer where he chose the castle of Pont-de-Briques, located at the entrance of this city, as headquarters.

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From 1961, Fernand Beaucour, with Pierre Schommer, curator of the Malmaison museum and a group of Boulonnais were concerned about the future of this castle threatened with demolition by the creation of an industrial zone.

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On May 27, 1962, a marble plaque was sealed on one of the pillars of the entrance to the main courtyard of the castle; it is always present:

" Here resided Napoleon during the Camp de Boulogne, 1803-1805 ."

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At the beginning of 1966, the threat of destruction became tangible with the project to create a ring road, the route of which passes over the castle. Fernand Beaucour and his group draw the attention of local and national authorities to the peril that this historic landmark is facing.

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On June 9, 1966, the Society for the Safeguarding of the Imperial Castle of Pont-de-Briques - Center for Napoleon Studies was created, a 1901 law association. Fernand Beaucour, who was at the head of all the procedures, was elected president of the Society.  She obtains the modification of the bypass project allowing to save the castle.  

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Since then, the company for the Preservation of the Imperial Castle of Pont de Briques has been working to enhance the site.

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Extending its action to cover the entire Imperial period, the Company created the Center for Napoleon Studies, which now supports this activity.