Rocroi is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France. The central area is a notable surviving example of a bastion fort.

Population

History

Rocroi was fortified by Francis I of France and expanded by Henry II of France. Because of its strategic location in the north of France it changed hands a number of times during wars. It is best known for the Battle of Rocroi in 1643. In the 1670s the fortifications were re-modelled by the French engineer Vauban. In 1815, two months after the Battle of Waterloo, the town was taken by Prussian and British forces (on 16 August).