Château de Gombervaux, lies in the countryside north of the town of Vaucouleurs. It was built between 1338 and 1357 by the knight Geoffroy de Nancy, who had gotten the fief from Philip VI of France. It served as a border post for the Duchy of Lorraine.
Already in 1363 the castle was besieged for 6 days by Count Henri V de Vaudémont with the help of English soldiers.
In 1367 a big banquet, prepared by Taillevent, was held in Gombervaux Castle in honor of the signing of the Treaty of Vaucouleurs between the Dukes of Lorraine and Bar and Charles V of France who was accompanied by Bertrand du Guesclin. From then on the castle fell under the French Crown.
In 1617 the castle was occupied by insurgents who had risen up against Marie de' Medici, Queen of France. It was then besieged by the people of Vaucouleurs and finally taken after 13 days. In 1639 plans were made to demolish the castle to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Duke of Lorraine, but these were not carried out.
In 1660 the Lord of Gombervaux, Gabriel de Myon, was rewarded for his loyal service in the army by Louis XIV of France and his fief became a barony.
After 1768 Gombervaux Castle no longer was the residence of a nobleman. It was maintained by farmers. This lasted until 1843 when it was finally sold to local landowners. They started to use the castle as a quarry for cheap building materials.
At present Gombervaux Castle is managed by the Association Gombervaux and can be visited for a fee during the summer months.
References:The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.
Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.