Located on the eastern outskirts of Paris, adjacent to the town of Vincenne

Heritage Places, Castles & Architecture

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13-Aug-2025 04 pm

Located on the eastern outskirts of Paris, adjacent to the town of Vincennes and the Bois de Vincennes, is the Château de Vincennes, a former royal home and stronghold. Built mostly between 1361 and 1369, it was the chosen residence of French kings from the 14th to 16th centuries, second only to the Palais de la Cité. The chapel, Sainte-Chapelle de Vincennes, which was started in 1379 but was not completed until 1552, is a remarkable example of Flamboyant Gothic architecture. It is also well-known for its donjon, or keep, a fortified central tower that is the tallest in Europe and was constructed in the 14th century. Both the chapel and the keep were designated historic monuments in 1853 and 1913, respectively. The public can now access the majority of the building. Louis VII established the first royal mansion in 1178. The location offered the benefits of excellent hunting in the nearby woodland, easy access by water on the Marne and Seine rivers, and two old Roman highways to Sens and Lagny. Louis IX utilized it far more frequently than Louis VII and his successors, second only to his tenure in the Palais de la Cité in Paris. There, he hosted royal council meetings. The Jacquerie convinced the new French king, John II, and his son, the future Charles V, that they needed a more secure home near, but not in the heart of Paris, in light of the French defeats and the English capture of the King during the Hundred Years War, as well as uprisings by Parisian merchants led by Etienne Marcel and a rural uprising against the crown. The King gave the order to build a castle at Vincennes with tall walls and towers encircling a huge 52-meter-tall keep or central tower. The construction of the three lowest levels of keep began in 1337 and was completed by 1364. While work was still in progress, Charles V moved into the keep around 1367 or 1368. It was tallest fortified structure of Europe when it was finished in 1369–1370. The château and park were utilized by the military, especially the artillery, throughout the Restoration and July Monarchy in the first half of the 19th century; in 1826, an artillery school was established there. The nearby park used as a fire range and a site for military drills. Three distinct forts were built inside the park in the early 19th century as part of the city-defense against attack. In 1936, worries about the growing threat posed by Nazi Germany forced the restoration of the château to halt. Starting that year, a sizable subterranean bunker was excavated beneath the Pavilion of the Queen in the southeast corner to house the headquarters of chief of staff. The generals Maurice Gamelin and then Maxime Weygand oversaw the defense of France from there, until they were overwhelmed by the German Blitzkrieg. The Defence Historical Service of France moved into the château in 1948, and it now houses a museum in the keep. In 1986, a significant effort was launched to save and repair the architectural legacy of the château. #History #Architecture #Castles

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