Château d'Étampes
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The Château d'Étampes was a castle in the town of Étampes in the départment of Essonne, France. The principal remains are of the 12th century keep, known as the Tour de Guinette.
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[edit] History
Étampes was the site of a royal castle of during the reign of Robert the Pious, King of France, around 1015, comprising a palace and motte. Between 1130 and 1150 a new castle was created overlooking the valley, culminating in a strong keep or donjon, the present Tour de Guinette. The castle was extended under later kings, notably Philip II of France. The castle suffered through sieges in the Hundred Years War and was ordered destroyed by Henry IV of France, leaving only the keep.
[edit] Description of the Chateau
The architectural aspects of this former royal castle are known from contemporary images, including, notably the Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry. Tour de Guinette was in the center of the castle and it was surrounded by a rectangular curtain wall punctuated by corner towers. This wall was in turn enclosed by two additional walls providing layers of defense for the keep.
The most remarkable feature of the site is the surviving keep. The keep (~27 meters in height) is a quatrefoil plan, much like a four-leafed clover, and was divided into four tall stories. The entry was at first floor level and may have been originally reached from the enclosure wall. The interesting plan is the result of experiments taking place during the mid-12th century to improve the defense of towers against missiles and to reduce dead ground. The circular lobes deflect missiles, and allow defenders to cover the foot of the walls from the summit of the keep. The plan resembles the keeps of Ambleny and nearby Houdan. Clifford's Tower, part of York Castle in York, England, is believed to have been inspired by Étampes, as it has an almost identical plan.
[edit] References
- Mesqui, Jean (1997). Chateaux-forts et fortifications en France. Paris: Flammarion, 493 pp. ISBN 2080122711.
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