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Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Dieppe finds its origins in a primitive castrum built around 1188 by Henry II Plantagenet and Richard Cœur de Lion, destroyed in 1195 by Philippe Auguste. The western tower, the oldest vestige (circa 1360), bears witness to the first fortifications against Flemish and English threats. Its wall thickness (2 m) and arches recall its defensive role, integrated into the urban enclosure commissioned by Jean le Bon in 1354 to protect Dieppe.

The present fortress was mainly rebuilt in the 15th century after the liberation of the city by Charles des Maretz in 1435, resistant to English and Burgundy assaults (notably in 1472). Two round towers and a square tower (disappeared) formed a rectangular plane connected by courtines, with drawbridges protecting the entrances. In the 16th century, reinforcements (barbacan, detached tower) adapted the castle to artillery, while the Wars of Religion (1562, 1589–94) made it an issue between Huguenots, leaguers and Henry IV.

In the 17th century, the castle lost its purely military role: large windows, pepper roofs and a barracks (1630) transformed the building into a residence for governors like Jean Ango or Aymar de Chastes. In 1650, the Duchess of Longueville organized an aborted rebellion against Louis XIV before escaping through a window. Damaged by an Anglo-Holland bombardment in 1694, it remained a barracks until the 19th century, becoming a prison under the Revolution and then a romantic place of walk after its military decommissioning in 1899.

Dieppe acquired the castle in 1903, after its use as a German barracks during the Second World War (Atlantic Wall). Gravely damaged in 1944 by the explosion of an ammunition depot, it has been home to the municipal museum since 1923, transferred under the impulse of curator Georges Lebas. Its collections and architecture — a mixture of medieval castles (round towers, courtines) and 17th-century citadel (semi-circular bullock) — bear witness to the evolution of Norman fortifications.

Ranked a historic monument in 1862 (for its houses and towers) and in 1995 (for the whole defensive system), the castle of Dieppe illustrates the transitions between medieval fortress, seigneurial residence and cultural heritage. Its materials (silex, sandstone, white chains) and its strategic location, 30 meters above the sea, highlight its dual historical role: coastal surveillance and symbol of local power.

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