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Origin and history

The ramparts of Uzès, of which parts still remain today, date mainly from the twelfth, thirteenth, fifteenth and seventeenth centuries. Their construction revolves around three major towers, attested since 1174 when the property of Bermond I d'Uzès was divided, which gave one to each of his three sons. These towers, including those of the King and Bishop, were built at the end of the 12th century and played a central role in the defence and judicial organization of the city. The enclosure, built in the 13th century, isolates this whole from the rest of the city, reinforcing its strategic and symbolic character.

In 1242 and 1280, the bishop of Uzes acquired one of the three towers, while the king's tower, sold to the Baron of Montfaucon in 1274, was transformed into a prison. The halls of the Bishop's Tower and part of the King's Tower become places of episcopal jurisdiction, sheltering prisons until the 19th century. In the seventeenth century, a room of the King's Tower was converted into a chapel, decorated with trompe-l'oeil paintings. The prisons, rebuilt around 1800, remained in operation until 1926 and were reused during World War II. The Registry House and the Clock Tower, added in 1831 on the Bishop's Tower, complete this historic ensemble.

Classified as a Historical Monument in 1979, the remains of the ramparts, including the towers of the King and Bishop, the chapel and the remaining parts of the enclosure, illustrate the architectural and functional evolution of this site. Property of the municipality of Uzès, these heritage elements reflect the political, judicial and religious transformations of the city, from the Middle Ages to the modern era.

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