Château de Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France

Conrad I, Count of Vintimiglia, built the castle in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin in 970 to defend the Western border of his feudal domain from attack by hordes of Saracens that rampaged around the area. Initially the entire village was encompassed by the castle. The keep's military strength was reinforced in the 15th century by the Grimaldi family. In 1808 the castle was sold as a Bien National to five Roquebrune inhabitants. A century later, in 1911, it was sold again – this time to wealthy Englishman Sir William Ingram, who set about renovating it but eventually gave it to the town of Roquebrune in 1921. The castle overlooks the medieval village and its atmospheric alleyways, sometimes carved out of the rock itself.

References:

Roquebrune-Cap-Martin Tourism

User Reviews

Don Folz (4 months ago)
A chateau built in the 10th century as the village keep and fortress. Panoramic views of the Mediterranean, Menton, du Cap-Martin, and Monaco. 5 euro adult entrance. Very well maintained toilets. C'est magnifique!

Румяна Стоянова (4 months ago)
Remains of an old chateau, well preserved and with incredible views of the surrounding area. You can read about the history of the area from the information panels. Don`t miss it.

Whitney Ranger (5 months ago)
For only 5 Euro, the castle is amazing, the town is even more magnificent and you could spend hours exploring the little alleys. If your in the area, you must visit! The parking is safe and cheap, plus free overnight! It's also overlooked by cameras. Just a few steps up and you'll reach the village and castle where you can see incredible views over the ocean!

Ionela Roelake (7 months ago)
Oh, wow, what a lovely experience! The surroundings are just stunning, pics don't do it justice! We walked up there on a very hot day, the walk was challenging (for us, the parents, our teenager kids were fine),but was all worth it! Found a lovely Caffè and had lunch (reasonable and lovely service) then explored the castle. I'd do it again, despite the 700(maybe?) stairs. You need to be fit if you are planning to walk from the bottom of the cliff! Would recommend it.

MTL (9 months ago)
Great views. Well worth the climb and the entrance fee.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Zvonimir Hrvoj

Historic Site of the week

Church of St Donatus

The Church of St Donatus name refers to Donatus of Zadar, who began construction on this church in the 9th century and ended it on the northeastern part of the Roman forum. It is the largest Pre-Romanesque building in Croatia.

The beginning of the building of the church was placed to the second half of the 8th century, and it is supposed to have been completed in the 9th century. The Zadar bishop and diplomat Donat (8th and 9th centuries) is credited with the building of the church. He led the representations of the Dalmatian cities to Constantinople and Charles the Great, which is why this church bears slight resemblance to Charlemagne's court chapels, especially the one in Aachen, and also to the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. It belongs to the Pre-Romanesque architectural period.

The circular church, formerly domed, is 27 m high and is characterised by simplicity and technical primitivism.

Château de Roquebrune-Cap-Martin

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

Church of St Donatus