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Fonderie à canons
Ornamental garden
in Douai
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In 1669, Louis XIV established a cannon foundry in Douai on the site of the old motte, the seat of the count’s authority since the 10th century. Two famous Zurich-based foundrymen, the Keller brothers, settled in Douai and chose the site of the former count's castle because the raised ground, protected from water ingress, made it possible to dig vertical moulds in which to cast the largest cannons. On 15 May 1670, the King witnessed the first casting of bronze cannons. Production continued...
In 1669, Louis XIV established a cannon foundry in Douai on the site of the old motte, the seat of the count’s authority since the 10th century. Two famous Zurich-based foundrymen, the Keller brothers, settled in Douai and chose the site of the former count's castle because the raised ground, protected from water ingress, made it possible to dig vertical moulds in which to cast the largest cannons. On 15 May 1670, the King witnessed the first casting of bronze cannons. Production continued for almost two centuries until it stopped on 31 December 1867. The circular wall of the enclosure with its furnaces, the entrance porch dating from 1806, and the former residence of the Governor of the foundry remain as reminders of the former cannon foundry. A cannon, the Furibonde, dating from 1744, has been relocated to the foundry garden.
