Dourdan Castle
| Dourdan Castle | ||
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 Exterior view |
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| Creation time : | Early 13th century | |
| Castle type : | Location | |
| Conservation status: | Received or received substantial parts | |
| Place: | Dourdan | |
| Geographical location | 48 ° 31 '47 " N , 2 ° 0' 40" E | |
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The Dourdan Castle ( French Château de Dourdan ) in the city of Dourdan between Paris and Chartres is a typical fortification from the beginning of the 13th century. It was built by order of King Philip II to replace a wooden fortification. The moat was laid out similarly to the Louvre .
The castle became the property of the Duke Jean de Valois in 1385 ; the monthly picture for April of his famous book of hours Très Riches Heures probably shows the condition of the castle from around 1410. During the Huguenot Wars , the garrison of the Duke of Guise was quartered there; The horse stables date from this time. The donjon of the complex is around 30 meters high with a diameter of 13.6 meters, a typical representative of the donjons from the time of Philippe Augustes.
The kitchen with the ovens is on the ground floor, a living room upstairs and the night watch room under the roof. Since the donjon has no loopholes , it cannot have played an important role in defense. However, it served as a royal prison until the 17th century. Important prisoners in the castle were:
- Joanna of Burgundy , daughter-in-law of Philip IV , in the wake of the Tour de Nesle affair , until she was freed by her husband Philip V and became Queen of France in 1316.
- La Hire , companion in arms of Joan of Arc
The castle stands in what is now the city center, surrounded by deep and wide moats that were used for defense until a stone wall with eight towers was built, the roofs of which were pointed at the origin. The donjon with its 3.80 meter thick walls is in the north corner. There is the Dourdan Stone in the basement, which, according to a legend, must not be lifted under any circumstances because whoever tries to do so will drown (“Qui touche à la pierre de Dourdan périt par l'eau”).
Donjon
Model of the castle
Castle plan
April picture in the book of hours Très Riches Heures
literature
- J. Guyot: Chronique d'une ancienne ville royale. Dourdan, capitale du Hurepoix . Editions Auguste Aubry, 1869.
- Gil Sargos: Brève histoire du château de Dourdan au Moyen Âge . Editions Les amis du château de Dourdan et son musée, 1999.
