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Rocroi
France
Rocroi, ancient fortress town, Ardennes département, Grand Est région, northeastern France. It lies 4 miles (6 km) from the Belgian frontier. The great bastions surrounding the small town in the form of a pentagon have been preserved intact and offer an excellent example of 16th- to 17th-century military architecture. Begun in 1555, the ramparts were rebuilt in 1691 by Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, the French military engineer. The duc d’Enghien (later called the Great Condé) defeated the Spaniards near Rocroi in 1643. Pop. (1999) 2,420; (2014 est.) 2,377.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Maren Goldberg.
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