Fort Boyard
Brand new on Google Maps/Earth this week is Fort Boyard, located between the Île d’Oléron and the Île-d’Aix in the Pertuis d’Antioche straits, on the west coast of France. It was designed to bridge the gap between the two islands, as the cannons of the time couldn’t protect such a large space.
Construction began under Napoleon in 1801, but unfortunately wasn’t finished until 1857 – by which time the range of cannons had increased, and the fort was utterly redundant.
Which is a bit like buying a PC that has become obsolete by the time Windows is finished installing. The parallels continue in fact – seemingly for lack of any better ideas, Fort Boyard eventually became a prison. 
Fort Boyard is certainly a scary looking place – although these days mostly for the thought of the truly terrible TV show of the same name that’s now filmed there (the oil rig type structure on the west side was built for the TV crews).
Thanks to Yuri.
P.S. There’s loads of new stuff being uncovered by this week’s image update, so why not see if you can grab yourself an exclusive, and get submitting those sights!
A Spanish paper
(SEE: http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/veinticuatro_horas/noticia.jsp?CAT=39160&TEXTO=100000107203)
has publish the Sight I suggested on May
http://googlesightseeing.com/2006/05/26/live-local-again-and-some-helicopters/
you’re right about the show. i’ve tried to watch it so many times. i WANT to like ti but alas, i end up changing the channel after about a minute…
Very cool wave interference to the south east!!!
you can show this at physics class.
Similar to this is the South Channel Fort in Port Phillip Bay Melbourne.
Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth
Built in the 19th century when Melbourne was the richest city in the southern hemisphere and fear of Russian invasion (and American privateers during the American Civil War) saw the construction of this fort and larger fortifications at Point Nepean
Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth
and Queenscliff. (on the other side of the heads to the east)
I love the TV show! We go to France every year for a month, and Fort Boyard is one of the things we look forward to!
i watch the tv show since i was 9 or so,(iam 16 now) now one of my big wishes is to go over there in fort boyard, i am looking for someone to contact which is working there or know how people can go there, so please help!!!