You probably never noticed them before, as they blended into the decor, discreetly nestled in the cliff.
The casemates of rue de la Coutellerie nevertheless represent a true historical treasure, one of those that the town of Pontoise in Val-d'Oise is full of, both discreet and precious.
Thanks to the gigantic Jean-Luc Maire car park project, these caves dug into the rock have been restored.
The project, now completed, is designated as exemplary: it was awarded the departmental Heritage Ribbons prize.
To restore these casemates, the municipality spent 661,400 euros, half financed by subsidies from the region and the Drac (regional directorate of cultural affairs of Ile-de-France), the rest being the responsibility of the municipality.
However, the curious will have very little chance of being able to admire this work from the inside.
These remarkable cavities now house the two official vehicles of the prefect of Val-d'Oise.
Open to the public once a year
“There were soldiers and gunpowder in the past, today they are garages, this shows that we are managing to develop our heritage,” pointed out the mayor (Free!) Stéphanie Von Euw, recently inaugurating these casemates rehabilitated and listed as Historic Monuments since the 1950s. Just opposite these caves, on the other side of the street, is the hotel Le Vasseur de Verville, also listed as a Historic Monument, property of the department and current residence of the prefect.
Since 1822, the building was the residence of the sub-prefect of Pontoise.
When this administrative layer disappeared, the prefect sitting in Cergy took its place.
A long-standing agreement has linked the prefecture to the municipality of Pontoise, leaving the State representative with the use of the largest casemate.
Most of the others also serve as garages but for associations based nearby.
The only consolation for heritage lovers is that these curiosities are open once a year during Heritage Days in September.
Only then can visitors admire the elegant vaults built into the rock and carefully restored.
“Here everything was done as in the Middle Ages with specialists in wooden frames and stonemasons,” points out Robert Dupaquier, deputy mayor in charge of town planning and heritage.
Above the rock are the city gardens, and the exact spot where Camille Pissarro once placed his easel.
“We are in one of the city’s emblematic places,” insists the elected official.
Cavities where gunpowder was stored
These casemates, which in their current structure probably date from the 16th century, are closely linked to the fortifications of Pontoise, key elements of the city's identity.
Located at the crossroads of several essential traffic routes (the Jules-César road, the Oise) the medieval city of Pontoise connects Normandy to Paris.
Its importance is such that the kings of France made it a vacation spot – the royal castle has now disappeared.
It is therefore necessary to protect it by building walls.
When the use of cannons became widespread, the powder also had to be stored.
A long tunnel also connects the casemates on rue de la Coutellerie to the site of the old castle, at the time to resupply the shooters.
Also readIn the secret of the underground: the cellars of Pontoise, a medieval universe witnessing the tumult of history
The town of Pontoise has other casemates, notably near the Tavet museum, but none equal in size to those on rue de la Coutellerie.
“These have incredible vaults, it’s truly a remarkable work, there aren’t many like that left in Île-de-France, especially this old,” breathes Robert Dupaquier.
Outside, the openings in the cliff are now well highlighted.
“Previously, we no longer saw anything, they completely disappeared under a virgin forest of vegetation, no one paid attention to them,” recalls the mayor, Stéphanie Von Euw.
Furthermore, the part of the town garden immediately above had to be closed, “because the railing was collapsing”.
The site has now regained all its charm.
On the side of the left opposition in the municipal council, without calling into question the restoration work, we wonder: "I don't know if there is really anything to see in the casemates but we could work more on general public access arrangements, even if only for schools,” estimates Sandra Nguyen-Derosier (PS).