Credit: LCTO
On Wednesday 20 September 2017, the Luxembourg City Tourist Office (LCTO) and the Ville de Luxembourg launched the development of the Pétrusse Casemates in the presence of Lydie Polfer, Mayor of the City of Luxembourg, Patrick Goldschmidt, Alderman at the Ville de Luxembourg, Marc Angel, President of the LCTO, and Tom Bellion, Director of the LCTO.
To mark the beginning of the renovations symbolically, the only genuine cannon (dated 1834, in the Prussian period) which was still in the underground galleries was removed by the fire brigade of the Ville de Luxembourg. In the presence of the municipal authorities and guests of honour, the cannon was entrusted to the Luxembourg Army, which took care to transport it from the Place de la Constitution to the specialised restoration workshop in Bensheim, Germany.
The objective of the Pétrusse Casemates redevelopment project is to promote the tourist value of this cultural heritage to provide better accessibility, new lighting and safety.
The origin of the Petrusse Casemates dates back to 1644 when the Spaniards modernised the medieval works and built great bastions, such as the Beck, whose platform is occupied by the present Place de la Constitution. Special features include the 132-step "Austrian staircase" and the authentic cannon from the Prussian period. Shot in 1834 in Karlsruhe, the barrel bears the number 31.
The Casemates are today the No.1 attraction of Luxembourg city. They once formed an extraordinary network of 23 km which were cut into the rocks of the city and were inscribed on the list of the World Heritage of UNESCO in 1994. Since 1977, the Luxembourg City Tourist Office (LCTO) has operated the two Casemates du Bock and Casemates de la Pétrusse sites.
In the Alzette valley, the Casemates du Bock remain open until 5 November 2017.
