Château de Rouen, Rouen, France

Château de Rouen was a castle built by Philip II of France from 1204 to 1210 following his capture of the duchy from John, duke of Normandy and king of England. Located outside the medieval town to its north, in a dominant position, it played a military role in the Hundred Years' War and the Wars of Religion. It was the main seat of power, administration and politics in the duchy of Normandy for nearly 400 years.

It was here that Joan of Arc was imprisoned in December 1430 and tried from 21 February to 23 May 1431. Vulnerable to artillery like other medieval fortresses, all but the keep (now known as the Tour Jeanne d'Arc) was dismantled in 1591 by Henry IV of France. The pointed roof of the keep was added in restoration works beginning in the 1870s. During the Second World War the tower was camouflaged and turned into a bunker by the occupying German forces. It is now open to the public.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Bruno Dantas (13 months ago)
Very interesting story and exhibition - when I went it was set up like the Nazis would have kept it after their invasion in 1944. The exhibitions change every two years.

Andrei Mukha (13 months ago)
You can visit the place for free. Inside is the exposition from ww2 time.

Athina Antonopoulou (14 months ago)
Visited the Donjon tower on the 31st of December. Even though the tower looks amazing in the exterior, visiting the inside isn't really worth it. It is only open on weekends and there's nothing to see, really... we were informed that from March till November, it is used as an escape room, which sounds quite interesting so it would worth a visit then. The guy at the entrance was very kind, smiley, and polite.

Vera Sturm (2 years ago)
It's not open in regular days ,seem to be only on occasions,but you can have a meal at the restaurant next to it which gives a good view of the tower.

Marek Sopko (3 years ago)
Pros: nice big tower, Cons: nothing more than just a tower... can not go inside, just observe from outside... as I know this is not the exact tower in which Joan was imprisoned...

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright caminanteK

Historic Site of the week

Château de Foix

The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.

In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians.

Château de Rouen

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Château de Foix