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Origin and history

The castle of Brionne is an ancient castle built at the end of the 11th or the beginning of the 12th century, of which today only a ruined dungeon remains. Located on a hillside point overlooking the village of Brionne (Eure, Normandy), it monitored the Rouen-Alençon road and the Risle valley. Its strategic location replaced a first primitive castle, mentioned in 1047 and partially destroyed in 1735 for the construction of mills. The current remains, freely accessible, have been listed as historical monuments since 1925.

The history of the castle is marked by major conflicts. In 1047 Gui de Brionne, Count and possessor of the fortresses of Brionne and Vernon, resisted for three years a siege led by the Duke of Normandy Guillaume, before surrendering by famine. The current 4-metre-thick, quadrangular (20 × 19.70 m) dungeon was reportedly built by Robert I of Meulan (died 1118) to replace the primitive castrum. He then received seats in 1124 (by Henri I Beauclerc) and 1194 (primed by Philippe Auguste), before being ruined by the English in 1421.

In the 17th century, fortifications were dismantled by order of Louis XIII (Order of 1626). The dungeon, bought in 1869 by Arthur Join-Lambert and then transferred to the city, was consolidated between 1994 and 1996. Architectural research reveals major redevelopments in the 12th and 13th centuries, including a double stone covering and the addition of foothills. Traces of full vaults and narrow passages suggest a complex inner organization, now partially illegible.

The dungeon, of Romanesque style, presents technical peculiarities such as wood sills drowned in the masonry to strengthen the structure. Its 10 per cent roof was crowned with heavy roofs, and square holes in the facades indicate the ancient presence of wooden balconies, similar to those of Loches Castle. Despite excavations and removals for dendrochronology, the conservation status of the elements did not allow to date precisely certain construction phases.

The site, classified as historical monuments and protected sites in 1925, offers a panorama of the Risle valley. Its history reflects the power struggles in medieval Normandy, between Duke of Normandy, local Counts like the Brionnes or the Meulan, and kings of France. The ruins, owned by the commune, remain an architectural witness to the defensive techniques of the 11th–13th centuries.

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