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onjour!
this month we are dedicating our newsletter to what is in our opinion the most majestic fortified
castle in France. Located 55 miles north of Paris, in Picardy, it emerges at the edge of the forest
of Compiègne, one of the most beautiful forests in France. Powerful and imposing in appearance,
over scaled yet elegant, it stands as a surprising blend of Flamboyant Gothic and romantic Renaissance
styles. The castle of Pierrefonds is quite simply a real delight.
But before continuing, please remember that you can access and read all the newsletters already
published at http://www.francemonthly.com/
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Charles VI ‘the Mad’
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When King Charles V ‘the Wise’ died in 1380, it was a peaceful and prosperous kingdom that
he passed on to his elder son who ascended to the throne as Charles VI. He had recovered
the territories ceded to the English by his predecessors, and the Treasury coffers were full.
He bequeathed the counties of Touraine and Valois to his younger son Louis of Orleans.
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Aerial View of Pierrefonds
(Click photo to enlarge)
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However, the young Charles was only 12 years old when his father died, and he remained under
the guardianship of his uncles. He grew up well aware of just how duplicitous and greedy his
uncles were, as they argued with each other over power and depleted all the money in reserve.
When he became a young man, he decided to remove them from power and take over all governing
duties himself. He called back all his father’s past advisers, and he was, in turn, able to
bring back a certain measure of peace and prosperity to the kingdom. Unfortunately, ten or
so years later as the young monarch was out riding in the forest of Mans, a leper in rags
rushed up to his horse and grabbed the bridle, warning him that he was betrayed. Traumatized
by such an unexpected and frightening incident, the young king experienced his first bout of
madness. From that day on, he would continue to suffer from periods of mental illness throughout
his life. Charles ‘the Beloved’ became Charles ‘the Mad’ and was no longer able to rule. His
brother, Louis of Orleans, became de facto regent, but his uncles ignored his position and once
again ran the country to their liking.
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The Most Beautiful Fortified Castle in the Kingdom
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Relations between Louis of Orleans and one of his uncles, Philip II ‘the Bold’,
Duke of Burgundy, deteriorated quickly. It was an unequal fight since the young
inexperienced Louis was no match for this wealthy man whose territories stretched
from Burgundy down south to Flanders up north. As a French sovereign’s youngest son,
Louis was entitled to some land by right, in his case, the counties of Touraine and
of Valois. However, such a concession did not earn him enough income to afford an
armed conflict with his uncle, and so he built fortresses throughout his dukedom
to protect it. One of these was the castle of Pierrefonds, built in 1393. Its massive
remparts prevented any possible enemy attack, while its strategic geographic location
next to a river and halfway between Burgundy and Flanders (his detested uncle’s territories)
allowed Louis to keep an eye on any exchanges between those two regions, and intercept them
if need be. He wanted an impressive fortress to show his power, but he also wanted to project
a glamorous image. In Pierrefonds, he successfully combined an aesthetic form and a military
function. The fortress is both magnificent and seemingly indestructible. Unfortunately, Louis
of Orleans did not get to live there long since his cousin, John the Fearless,
son of Philip II, had him assassinated in a cowardly way in 1407.
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Recipe for January 2007
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Lamb with Honey
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An Impregnable Citadel
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For about two centuries in the Orleans family, the impregnable fortress of Pierrefonds remained
the king’s youngest son’s irrevocable legacy. It could easily house more than a thousand soldiers,
although one hundred were enough to defend it.
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The Fortress of Pierrefonds
(Click photo to enlarge)
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Nothing was left unplanned in this powerful military structure. An elevated entrance, 40ft off the ground,
made it extremely difficult to access the castle. The slightly tapered towers allowed the stones thrown
off the top of the ramparts to bounce off into the enemy. If the invader did however manage to cross the
drawbridge, he was in for a big surprise: he would find himself trapped between two iron gates. Big stones
that were hung by ropes from the ceiling would then be released through holes designed for that purpose and
fall on the poor man’s head. The cellars could stock large quantities of goods and weapons, and there was a
water source running underneath the castle. The besieged could therefore be sure they would never run out of
such a vital staple, a lack of which had so often forced others to surrender. It was useless to attempt to
besiege Pierrefonds, as several kings over time had found out the hard way before retreating. Only treachery
could have had the best of it, and that is exactly what happened, in 1616.
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The Nine Valiant Knights
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Originally, the fortress had nine towers. Louis of Orleans named each one of them after
a valiant knight. The legends of these knights were tied to three traditions.
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Strong Defenses of the Fortress
(Click photo to enlarge)
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The first one spoke of the Old Testament represented by Joshua, the brave successor of Moses
who made the walls of Jericho fall to the sound of trumpets; Judas Maccabeus who took control
of Jerusalem and voided the decrees that forbid Jewish religious practices; and David, King of
Israel, chosen by God. The second one represented Antiquity and the pagan world, with Hector,
head of the Trojan army in the Iliad; Alexander, King of Macedonia and the great conqueror;
and Julius Caesar, conqueror of Gaul and Emperor of Rome. Finally, the third one stood for
the Middle-Ages and the Christian world, with Charlemagne, the sovereign guided by God;
Godefroy de Bouillon, elected to rule Jerusalem during the crusades in 1099; and Arthur,
whose legend was directly tied to that of the Holy Grail, the cup used by Jesus at the
Last Supper and believed to have later caught his blood. This theme of the nine valiant
knights was very in vogue in the Middle-Ages, as it symbolized a chivalrous ideal of bravery
and loyalty. Louis of Orleans no doubt felt that by naming each one of his nine towers after
one of these bravest of the brave knights, his residence would be rendered invincible.
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A Missing Tower
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Nothing could shake the biggest fortified castle in the kingdom, not even the terrible
Hundred Years’ War during which, however, the David tower was destroyed. The fortress
remained so solid that no one ever thought to reconstruct it.
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The Fortress of Pierrefonds
(Click photo to enlarge)
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But in 1616, Louis XIII and his minister, the Cardinal Richelieu, anxious to subject the local
lords to their authority, besieged it and were quick to find the breach in the structure. One
week was all it took the king’s 3,000 soldiers to take hold of this castle that had withstood
every attack in the preceding centuries. A treacherous priest had quickly revealed the fortress’
soft spot to the kings’ soldiers: the David Tower on the south side that had never been rebuilt
and was the only possible means of access to the interior. He was hoping the castle would be
destroyed, so that the poor villagers could finally be spared all the acts of violence committed
against them by soldiers, mercenaries and bandits every time the castle was attacked. The villagers
always became the first victims, as these brutal men looted and set fire to houses, and kidnapped
women. And so, the king’s victory was an easy one indeed. One year later, Louis XIII ordered the
castle dismantled because he considered it a threat to his rule.
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Romantic Ruins |
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For more than two centuries, no one was interested in the ruins of the castle, except for a few
crafty fellows who would come steal some stones here and there to build their own homes. But by
the time Napoleon III discovered this residence that had been bought back in 1810 by his uncle,
Napoleon I, things had changed quite a bit. Pierrefonds had become a very popular vacation resort,
known for its sulfur thermal waters. In addition, at the start of the 19th century, it was very
fashionable to express feelings and to embrace romanticism. Everyone found these abandoned ruins
charming. They served as a backdrop for artists and painters, and a source of inspiration for poets.
What was once seen as plain ugly and sad became picturesque and charming. Napoleon III and Eugenie
shared a passion for the place, and in 1857 the emperor decided to renovate the manor donjon and
leave the rest of the castle in ruins, which suited the taste of the time. He hired the brilliant
architect Eugène Viollet le Duc for the task. The emperor and his wife were so impressed by the
initial work in progress that they enthusiastically decided to renovate the complete structure and
turn it into a real imperial residence. Although it only took Louis of Orleans ten years to build
his castle, it took twenty-five years to renovate it.
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An Imperial Residence
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This was the perfect commission for Eugene Viollet le Duc. Thanks to his perfect mastery of medieval architecture,
he could rebuild an old fortress stone by stone,
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The Inner Ward - The Castle of Pierrefonds
(Click photo to enlarge)
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while giving free reign to his very personal interpretation of just what medieval style was.
He practically reinvented the defense system, creating covered and continuous ramparts on two
connected yet separate levels which also connected all the towers to one another. He raised
the walls more than 65 ft above ground to accentuate the massive appearance of the structure.
In contrast, as soon as you cross the drawbridge, you will find a refined and elegant main
building worthy of the Renaissance. Viollet le Duc was also an exceptionally gifted interior
designer, minding the slightest detail. He hired talented artists and artisans to create various
sumptuous painted and sculpted interiors throughout the castle. Even though work came to a halt
during the war of 1870, it did resume a few years later but only to be stopped for good in 1885,
when a very young 3rd Republic had more pressing matters to address than the interior decoration
of a castle.
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An Invitation to Travel... |
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The castle of Pierrefonds includes 132 magnificent rooms, 100 or so fireplaces
(some of which are quite monumental), 5,445 steps to climb, and a chapel as tall
as a cathedral. Even though Viollet le Duc wasn’t able to complete his project,
there is no doubt that what he did design would have met Louis of Orleans’ approval,
with its powerful presence, massive scale, and exceptional beauty. Napoleon III dreamed
of a castle worthy of medieval pomp and circumstance, and the brilliant architect he
trusted with this dream reconciled history and modernity to create a masterpiece. In so
doing, he lived up to the motto of the lords of Pierrefonds: “He who wants to, can!”. We
highly recommend you visit the biggest, most beautiful, most romantic fortified castle in France.
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