Vol. 65, No. 4 winter 2020 310


4. T e Vauban dock and the Toulon rope factory in 1756. © Bibliothèque national de France, via AAMM.


rope factory was started in 1665 under the direc- tion of the superintendent, Nacquart. In the absence of convincing iconography, we can assume that this was an uncovered rope factory simply equipped with shelters for the rope makers’ machines. Two plans in the Fonds Nivard in the naval division of the Ser- vice Historique de la Défense let us know that it was located between the port and the basin of l’Ecluse Bleue. In 1671 a project was studied to build a rope factory on the pier separating the port from the basin of l’Ecluse Bleue but this space was wedged between the Navy’s property and that controlled by the for- tifi cations, which came under Louvois. In addition to the strict constraints linked to the defense of the place, Dunkirk highlights the disagreements between the two ministries. Louvois instructed his engineers “not to suff er from having a rope factory built on the breakwater of the Ecluse Bleue”, although Vauban


then pressed for this location. T is seems to have reached the ear of Louis XIV and Colbert warned the superintendent of the Navy that the site was ap- proved “on condition that it will only be framework covered with tiles and the sides of boat planks, so that it can be dismantled promptly in the event of a siege.” In the end, in 1679, the superintendent established a temporary rope factory outside the walls. (ANM B3 31 f°11)


In these four ports, work was being carried out without any real overall layout plan. T e buildings were modest and arranged to fi t the available landscape. On the one hand, the concept of a dockyard arsenal had not yet been clearly defi ned by Colbert and his engineers. On the other hand, the budgetary situation quickly turned to dealing with war against Holland.


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