Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Dourdan Castle, located in the Hurepoix natural region of Île-de-France, is an emblematic example of Philippian military architecture. Built between 1220 and 1222 during the reign of Philippe Auguste, it is part of a fortification plan designed to secure the royal estate against the Plantagenets. Its square plan, inspired by the Louvre, makes it a symmetrical fortress with isolated dungeon, dry ditches, flanking towers and entrance castles, characteristic of the castles of this time like Gisors or Angers. It was the last fortress built under Philippe Auguste, completed a year before his death in 1223.

Before this stone castle, the site housed a wooden and earth construction built by Hugues the Great, father of Hugues Capet, in the tenth century. This first castle, located nearby, served as a hunting residence for Kings Louis VI and Louis VII, promoting local economic development thanks to the Paris-Chartres road and the river Orge. The dense forest of the Carnuts, inherited from ancient times, also made it a popular hunting site, reinforcing its strategic importance.

Over the centuries, the castle changed hands and functions several times. Offered by Louis IX to Blanche de Castille and then to Marguerite de Provence, he became a hunting appointment for Philippe le Hardi and Philippe le Bel. In 1314, Jeanne II of Burgundy was imprisoned in the dungeon after the scandal of the Nesle tower. During the Hundred Years' War, he was looted by the English in 1428 and served as a prison for Étienne de Vignolles, a companion of Joan of Arc, before his escape in 1431. Louis XI returned to the royal domain in 1477.

The wars of Religion also marked its history: in 1567, the Protestants ransacked Dourdan, and the dungeon was taken in 1591. The castle passed into the hands of figures like Henri IV, who offered to his superintendent Nicolas Harlay de Sancy, then to the Duke of Sully. The latter closed the dungeon gap and added stables. In the 17th century it became a royal prison under Philippe d'Orléans, hosting up to 300 prisoners during the Revolution.

In the 19th century, the castle entered the private domain with owners like Amédée Guénée and the Guyot family. In 1961, Countess Gaillard de la Valdène sold it to the commune of Dourdan, marking the beginning of a long restoration. Ranked a historic monument in 1964, it was the subject of major works between 1972 and 1987, restaurant towers, dungeon, courtines and facades. Today, it houses a museum and remains a major testimony of medieval military architecture.

Architecturally, the castle is distinguished by its square plan of 70 meters side, lined with 12 meters wide ditches. It had six towers and a 30 metre high dungeon (25 meters today), separated from the rest by an annular ditch. The dungeon, a master room, housed a vaulted common room, a bedroom, and a watch room, equipped with fireplaces, a well and a armmill. The courtyard included a chapel dedicated to Saint John the Baptist and a private hotel in "U", reflecting its dual defensive and residential use.

External links