The photos in this post are of the impressive architecture of the 16th century fortress located on the sea front of Villefranche - France. The fortress was built by the duke of Savoy between 1554 and 1559 to defend the port of the medieval town of Villefranche.

The citadel/fortress was used as barracks by the Russian in 1856 then by the US Navy at the end of WWII. Today, it houses city hall, conference center, beautiful gardens and three museums.