Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Gaillon, located in the Eure in Normandy, finds its origins in the 12th century as a strategic fortress during the conflicts between kings of France and England. In 1192, Philippe Auguste took control of it before Richard Cœur de Lion strengthened the nearby defences with Château-Gaillard. Lambert Cadoc, a mercenary rewarded for his services, became lord in 1197 before being imprisoned in 1220 for abuses. The site finally passed under royal domination in 1200, marking a turning point in the Norman conquest.

In 1262 the archbishop of Rouen Eudes Rigaud acquired the castle, transforming it into a summer residence for the prelates. Despite the destruction ordered by the Duke of Bedford in 1424 during the Hundred Years War, the episcopal hotel was spared. The renaissance of the site began in 1455 under William d'Estouteville, but it was Georges d'Amboise, cardinal and prime minister of Louis XII, who made it a Renaissance jewel between 1502 and 1509. Inspired by Italy, there are artists like Andrea Solari and Michel Colombe, creating the first monumental marble fountain of Carrara de France.

The castle has its peak in the 16th century with gardens designed by Pacello da Mercogliano and a chapel decorated with woodwork and marble. In the 17th century, Jules Hardouin-Mansart and André Le Nôtre added orangery and renovated the green spaces. However, the French Revolution marked a decline: the Italian fountain was dismantled in 1792, and the treasures dispersed after the sale of the estate as a national good. The castle, transformed into a prison in 1812, housed a central house until 1901 and served as a barracks during the First World War.

Repurchased by the State in 1975, the castle is undergoing major restoration from 1977, including the reconstruction of the Genoa gate and its roof. Since 2011, it has been open to the public and values its dual heritage: Renaissance Palace and prison heritage. The graffiti of the prisoners, the remains of the gardens, and a 16th century model testify to its complex history, between art, episcopal power and prison memory.

Future

In September 2009, the Association pour la Renaissance du Château de Gaillon (ARC) was founded. From its foundation, with the municipality of Gaillon at its side, it aims to reopen the castle to the public and to bring out the monument.

In the summer of 2011, the castle opens its doors to the public, reinforced by a new exhibition, carried out by the RCAF, and a model of the castle as it could have been seen in the 20th century.

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