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Château Gaillard

Château Gaillard
Les Andelys, France
The ruins of a castle in grey limestone. It dominates the landscape.
Château Gaillard's inner bailey
Château Gaillard is located in France
Château Gaillard
Château Gaillard
Coordinates 49°14′17″N 1°24′09″E / 49.238°N 1.4025°E / 49.238; 1.4025
Type Concentric castle
Site information
Condition Ruins
Site history
Built c. 1196–1198
Built by Richard the Lionheart, King of England
Materials Limestone
Demolished 1599–1611
Battles/wars Siege of Château Gaillard 1203–1204
Events Angevin Empire
Hundred Years' War
Garrison information
Past
commanders
England Roger de Lacy
Occupants Normandy Duchy of Normandy
England Kingdom of England
Kingdom of France Kingdom of France

Château Gaillard ("Hearty Castle") is a ruined medieval castle, located 90 m above the commune of Les Andelys overlooking the River Seine, in the Eure département of historical Normandy, now Upper Normandy, France. It is located some 95 kilometres (59 mi) north-west of Paris and 40 kilometres (25 mi) from Rouen. Construction began in 1196 under the auspices of Richard the Lionheart, who was simultaneously King of England and feudal Duke of Normandy. The castle was expensive to build, but the majority of the work was done in an unusually short time. It took just two years, and at the same time the town of Petit Andely was constructed. Château Gaillard has a complex and advanced design, and uses early principles of concentric fortification; it was also one of the earliest European castles to use machicolations. The castle consists of three enclosures separated by dry moats, with a keep in the inner enclosure.

Château Gaillard was captured in 1204 by the French king, Philip II, after a lengthy siege. In the mid-14th century, the castle was the residence of the exiled David II of Scotland. The castle changed hands several times in the Hundred Years' War, but in 1449 the French king captured Château Gaillard from the English king definitively, and from then on it remained in French ownership. Henry IV of France ordered the demolition of Château Gaillard in 1599; although it was in ruins at the time, it was felt to be a threat to the security of the local population. The castle ruins are listed as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture. The inner bailey is open to the public from March to November, and the outer baileys are open all year.


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