Château de Niort, Niort, France

Château de Niort is a medieval castle in the French town of Niort. It consists of two square towers, linked by a 15th-century building and dominates the Sèvre Niortaise valley.

The two donjons are the only remaining part of the castle. The castle was started by Henry II Plantagenet in the 12th century and completed by Richard the Lionheart. It was defended by a rectangular curtain wall and was damaged during the Wars of Religion. In the 18th century, the castle served as a prison.

The present keeps were the central point of a massive fortress. The southern keep is 28m tall, reinforced with turrets. The northern tower is slightly shorter at 23m. Both are flanked with circular turrets at the corners as well as semicircular buttresses. Each of the towers has a spiral staircase serving the upper floors. The Romanesque architecture is of a high quality with the dressed stones closely jointed. The interiors are rather spartan - there is no trace of chimneys, no large windows and no decorative sculpture. In the 15th century the area between the towers was roofed over using the 12th century walls, and turned into a lodging.

Following the first national congress of ethnology in France, held at Niort in 1896, the keep began to take on its present function as a museum, initially housing the collection of Poitevin costumes.

References:

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User Reviews

Emma Schouten (5 months ago)
It looks really cool when you are walking along the river down below and even from the square by the market halls. However, once inside, I found it a little boring. There are some exhibits but I found them lacking in interest. Not sure it was worth the price of the ticket. If you are lucky and can get in for free (EU citizen under 26) than I would go in. If not, maybe skip it. The views from the roofs were good though. You can see all of Niort's center and I love a good viewpoint.

Annette W (7 months ago)
Very friendly and polyglot staff. The audio guide is part of the admission. Oh! Admission is free for those under 25 years of age! Check the opening hours. They are different almost every day. The Donjon is closed on Mondays. Careful. This building is 1,000 years old and not easy to navigate. There are several narrow, winding stairs to go up and down. The history is rich and goes all the way back to the first known human inhabitants of the area and into the present day civic engineering of the Sèvre and Niort. Expect to spend an hour to 90 minutes if you want to explore the whole castle and really learn about it. I recommend a visit.

Erik Blackwood (9 months ago)
Less to see and do than you might think given how big it is, but still well worth a visit in Niort. There are good translated guidebooks for overseas visitors and audio guides too so older visitors will get more out of it than younger ones. The displays on the recent archaeology are the most impressive - a good explanation into their work here. The views from the top are fantastic - enjoy the panorama.

Connor O'Neill (10 months ago)
Heaps cool, has views, helpful staff and history!

stuart lawes (2 years ago)
Imposing castle in centre of the town

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