Château de Gisors
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The Château de Gisors is a castle in the town of Gisors in the départment of Eure, France.
The castle is essentially the work of the Dukes of Normandy in the 11th and 12th centuries. It was a border fortress intended to defend the Anglo-Norman territory from the pretensions of the King of France. In 1196, the castle fell into the hands of the King of France and thereafter lost a good part of its importance as a frontier castle.
It is also known for its links with the Templars. Put into their charge by the French king between 1158 and 1160, it became the final prison of the Grand Master of the Order, Jacques de Molay, in 1314.
The first building work is dated to about 1095 and consisted of a keep on a motte with the first surrounding wall. After 1161, important reinforcement work saw the keep raised and the Devil's Tower (tour du diable ) built. The Prisoner's Tower (tour du prisonnier) was added at the start of the 13th century, and further reinforcement was added during the Hundred Years' War. In the 16th century, earth ramparts were built.
The Château de Gisors is listed as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Article and photos on the château de Gisors (French)
- The castle of Gisors - article and pictures (French)
- Ministry of Culture database entries for Gisors:
- This article was initially translated from this Wikipedia article « fr:Château de Gisors » , specifically from this version.
