Where is: Picardy, 14 km southeast of Compiègne.
How does it work: from May to September 9.30-18.00; from September 5 to April 10.00-13.00 and 14.00-17.30, day off - Mon. Closed on national holidays.
Issue price: 6.50 euros.
What to look at: when you look at the palace, it seems - here it is, a real medieval castle: thick walls, defensive towers, powerful gates and even a small village at the foot of the castle hill. However, the most striking buildings date back to the 19th century.
Story
The first castle arose here during the Carolingian times on the site of a Roman settlement on a hill near the lake, where thermal springs once flowed.
In 1185, it was acquired by King Philip-Augustus, later Pierrefonds, together with the surrounding lands of Crepy, Bethhisy, La Ferte-Milon, became part of the Duchy of Valois.
C. Corot "Castle of Pierrefonds"
During the Hundred Years' War in 1392, Louis d'Orleans, brother and regent under the mad King Charles VI, rebuilt it and included it in a chain of defenses stretching between the rivers Oise (Oise) and Urk (Ourcq). The work on the alteration of the castle of Pierrefonds is headed by the royal architect Jean Black (Jean Le Noir). Construction was completed after the death of Louis of Orleans, who was killed in 1407. by order of his cousin, the Duke of Burgundy, Jean the Fearless. The powerful walls of the new castle successfully repel numerous sieges by the British, Burgundians and royal troops.
In the 16th century, the castle fell into the hands of Antoine d'Estre, Marquis de Quevre, father of the beautiful Gabrielle d'Estre, favorite of King Henry IV of Navarre. At the beginning of the 17th century, the Marquis de Quevre, son of Henry IV and Gabriel d'Estre take the side of the Prince of Condé in the struggle between the highest aristocracy of France and the young king Louis XIII, the son of Henry IV and his second wife, Marie de Medici. In the middle of the 17th century, the castle was destroyed by order of Cardinal Richelieu.
C. Corot "The ruins of the castle of Pierrefonds"
The ruins of the castle attracted artists and writers of the 18th century, romantics of the 19th century, and in 1813 the remains of the castle were bought by Napoleon I for less than 3,000 francs. In 1857, Louis Napoleon, a lover of history and archeology, commissioned the architect Viollet-le-Duc to build something romantic on the site of the ruins, as the new emperor needed a renovated residence.
The architect began restoration work in 1857, but died in 1879 before he could complete the work. It was replaced first by Ouradou and then by Lisch, and in 1885 the restoration was completed. This "remake" looks more Gothic than the original buildings of the Middle Ages. Of course, art historians are absolutely right when they say that both historical accuracy and the architectural canon were violated during the construction, but the castle turned out to be very beautiful! From the fortress of Louis of Orleans, the foundations of the wall and towers have been preserved.
Photo from 1890.
Photo 2009.
The castle has a rectangular shape of 103 m x 88 m, the thickness of the walls and towers is 5-6 meters. Each tower has its own name: Hector, Arthur, Alexander, Charlemagne, Julius Caesar.
The courtyard inside the castle is called the Court of Honor. Here you can see a well and a monument to Louis d'Orleans.
The castle chapel contains foundry products of local craftsmen. And in the crypt there are imitations of tombstones of prominent personalities: kings, queens, favorites, courtiers.
Le Duc built the interiors in the Renaissance style, adding gothic touches - chimeras, salamanders and other little animals.
Inside the castle are very interesting drawings depicting the ruins before the restoration. In the living room, various chimeras and other monsters are presented - a fantastic fauna of the Middle Ages, carved from Hungarian oak by Viollet le Duc. In the hall of plaster works, his own sketches-works are presented, which were later used as models for stone sculptures in the design of the restored castle.
The most beautiful are the two communicating halls - the Armorial Hall and the Hall of Knights' Ladies, reflecting the romantic ideas of the 19th century about the kings of the past. The Empress and her court ladies are depicted as heroines of antiquity.
Pierrefonds Castle (Chateau de Pierrefonds) was built in the 90s of the XIV century on the site of earlier fortifications of the XII century, destroyed in the XVII century, restored in the second half of the XIX century.
In the 12th century, the castle belonged to the lords of Pierrefonds of Chierzi. Only the basement has survived from it. At the end of the 12th century, it passes to King Philip Augustus and from that moment becomes a royal possession.
Duke Louis of Orleans received in 1392 a gift from his brother - King Charles VI of Pierrefonds and the Duchy of Touraine. The surroundings of Pierrefonds became part of the county of Valois, which became a duchy. In 1396, Louis began a complete rebuilding of the castle, the architect is unknown, but it may have been Raymond du Temple. The work was later led by the royal architect Jean Le Noir under the supervision of Jean Aubele. Construction was completed after the assassination (1407) of Louis of Orleans.
At the beginning of the reign of Louis XIII, the castle belonged to François-Hannibal d'Estre (brother of the beautiful Gabrielle d'Estre), who joined the party of the "dissatisfied" led by Prince Condé. In March 1617, Pierrefonds was besieged and taken by troops sent by Cardinal Richelieu. The cardinal ordered the destruction of the castle, but due to the scale of the structure, they limited themselves to tearing down the outer fortifications and destroying the roof.
In 1813 Emperor Napoleon I bought the land on which the castle was located. In August 1832, Louis Philippe holds a banquet at the castle of Pierrefonds on the occasion of the wedding of his daughter Louise and Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, the first Belgian king. Many artists, including Corot, captured the castle in their works. Prince Napoleon, the future emperor, who was interested in archeology, visited the ruins of the castle in 1850. In 1857, on the advice of Prosper Mérimée, he decided to restore Pierrefonds and make it his residence.
The reconstruction of the castle began under the leadership of Viollet-le-Duc, who was considered the best specialist in the architecture of the Middle Ages. He restored such Romanesque and Gothic architectural complexes as Notre Dame Cathedral, Chartres Cathedral, Carcassonne. However, his method of restoring ancient monuments had both supporters and opponents who criticized Viollet-le-Duc for being unscientific. He created structures the way they should have been in his mind. Often the appearance of the restored building had little in common with what it once was. Initially, it was supposed to rebuild only a few towers with living quarters, while preserving the "picturesque" ruins. The work continued until 1885, after the death of Viollet-le-Duc (1879) they were led by his student Urado.
Pierrefonds Castle receives visitors every day from 10 am to 6 pm from May to September. And from October to April from 10 am to 5 pm. Weekday break from 12:30 to 14:00. Ticket price €6.5.
Wiki: en:Pierrefonds (castle) en:Château de Pierrefonds de:Schloss Pierrefonds es:Castillo de Pierrefonds
This is a description of the attraction Chateau Pierrefonds in Pierrefonds Les Baines, Picardy (France). As well as photos, reviews and a map of the surroundings. Find out the history, coordinates, where it is located and how to get there. Check out other locations on our interactive map for more details. Know the world better.
There are 7 editions in total, the last one was made 5 years ago by Arnica from Podolsk
Probably, you will have a natural question, why did I put this article in the "Paris" section? The fact is that the Pierrefonds castle (Chateau de Pierrefonds) is located away from the main highways, there are no trains, there are no other attractions nearby, and you can get there if you drive from Paris by car to Lille or Brussels on the motorway A1, and even then, making a small detour.
But if the main purpose of your trip is Paris and its environs, then Pierrefonds Castle can be visited by devoting half a day to this route. The train journey will take about 40 minutes and another half an hour by bus. Information on how to get to Pierrefonds Castle and other useful links will be, as usual, at the end of the article, and now a bit of history.
Pierrefonds castle - romantic ruins
There is nothing more boring than listing the famous owners of French castles, especially if you are not an expert in French history. Yes, and how not to get confused here: there were only 3 Napoleons in France, and an endless series of Louis just drives you crazy! Therefore, I apologize in advance to lovers of historical references, but I will tell you about the Pierrefonds castle that I personally found interesting and curious.
pierfon castle was built in the 12th century, faithfully served its owners as a stronghold, survived many hostilities and was destroyed by order of Cardinal Richelieu in 1617 - as an indicative flogging of "another stubborn nobleman" (Voltaire). It was not possible to demolish the castle to the ground, it was a painfully powerful building, but they still managed to turn it into picturesque ruins.
In this form, the castle of Pierrefonds existed for more than 200 years.
In 1813, Napoleon I (the one with whom we fought) bought the castle and its surrounding land for 2,700 francs. He was mainly interested in the Compiègne forest, on the edge of which the castle stood, and the opportunity to place outbuildings there. However, the hands of the emperor never got to managing in Pierrefonds: you yourself understand that the war with Russia is a troublesome business;).
The castle was forgotten again, abandoned and remembered only 20 years later: the “romantic ruins” attracted the attention of the next Duke of Orleans, and there, on the lawns of the Compiegne Forest, a picnic was held in honor of his daughter’s wedding.
Apparently, there really was something attractive in the majestic ruins - it was not for nothing that Jean-Baptiste Corot repeatedly depicted them on his canvases. It is thanks to him that we can imagine what the real castle of Pierrefonds looked like.
Castle of Porthos
In guidebooks, Pierrefonds Castle is sometimes referred to as the "Castle of Porthos". This is not true. The castle of Pierrefonds is indeed described in the novels of Dumas, but precisely as the ruins that once belonged to the Duke of Orleans.
Passing these ruins, d'Artagnan, together with his servant, rode to visit Porthos, whose real name was Baron du Vallon de Brassier de Pierrefonds. In this case, "de Pierrefonds" means, translated into Russian, "Baron of Pierrefonds" or "Baron from Pierrefonds." And the real castle of Porthos (if I may say so in relation to a fictional character) was nearby:
By the way, in France there is another castle of Porthos (Chateau de Porthos), which, unlike the fictional castle of the musketeer in Pierrefonds, claims to be historical authenticity. The literary character Alexandre Dumas had a real prototype - Isaac de Porto, who was born in the city of Pau in the Pyrenees and served in a musketeer regiment. After finishing his service in the Royal Guard, he decided to settle near his native city in the town of Lanne (Lanne-en-Baretous), where he bought himself a small castle.
This castle has now been converted into chambre d'hotes- a specific French version of a private hotel or guest house. The "Chateau de Porthos" has 4 bedrooms, bearing the names of the heroes of the "Three Musketeers", each with its own unique interior, photos (there are many) can be viewed on booking.com. The cost of living is about 100 E per room per day. The guest house is designed for 10 residents.
Pierrefonds Castle is a Disney dream
In 1850, Napoleon III, the nephew of that Napoleon who fought with Russia, suddenly remembered the castle (inheritance?), visited it at his leisure and began to think about whether to start restoring it.
There is a historical anecdote that the wife of Napoleon III incredibly liked the ruins of the castle, and when he was in deep thought about which of the castles to repair (and apparently there were many castles), the empress invited the crowned spouse to cast lots. Napoleon agreed and pulled out a piece of paper with the name "Pierrefonds" from his hat. The choice was made, but, they say, it was thanks to the Empress, who prudently wrote the word "Pierrefond" on all pieces of paper.
For the restoration of the castle, on the advice of Prosper Merimee, the architect Viollet-le-Duc (Eugène Viollet-le-Duc) was invited, and in 1858 a grandiose reconstruction began, which ended 26 years later.
The fact is that Viollet-le-Duc quite consciously did not try to restore the historical appearance of the building, but made it the way it could be. A dubious approach, to be honest. But what's done is done, and there are now an incredible number of buildings in France that Viollet-le-Duc had a hand in. Of the most famous: Parisian Notre Dame and the Saint-Denis Basilica, the castle, Notre Dame in Strasbourg, Chateau Pierrefonds and many more churches and castles throughout the country and even in neighboring Belgium and Switzerland.
As a result of the restoration, the Pierrefonds castle turned from a fortress into a palace, so now we are not seeing a medieval castle, but a luxurious residence of the 19th century, which from the outside strongly resembles the “fairytale castle” Neuschwanstein in Germany, which has become a symbol of the Walt Disney studio.
Viollet-le-Duc made a similar transformation with the fortress of Carcassonne, and, frankly, both buildings, after the intervention of the great architect, give a somewhat sham impression, although both, each in its own way, are very interesting.
Was it worth turning the medieval Pierrefonds into a Disney castle? Don't know. Some insist that "honest" ruins would look much better - the spirit of history, the memory of centuries, stones that could tell a lot ... And others believe that it is better to give the monument a new life than to watch its steady destruction.
And the monuments of Viollet-le-Duc really live a new life. Chimeras, which the architect placed on the roof of Notre Dame, have become one of the symbols of Paris; a trip to Carcassonne inspired the German Klaus-Jürgen Rede to create the board game of the same name; and there is no need to talk about cinema at all - historical films are regularly shot in both Carcassonne and Pierrefonds. No wonder - these castles-fortresses look like medieval castles in our imaginations and in illustrations of chivalric novels. So, probably, Viollet-le-Duc was not so wrong.
Pierrefonds Castle how to get there
pierfon castle(Chateau de Pierrefonds) is located in the department of Oise (Oise), 80 km from Paris. You can get to it by train from the Gare du Nord of Paris to the Compiegne stop, then by bus number 27 to Pierrefonds through the same Compiegne forest.
Road to Pierrefonds
Wake up again at 8 in the morning. Breakfast worthy without frills and check out at 9. It was quite a busy day in terms of moving. A tour of the Pierrefonds castle was planned (where the TV series Merlin is filmed), and we were supposed to spend the night in Stuttgart. There are more than 300 km to Pierrefonds, and about 700 km from Pierrefonds to Stuttgart. On this day, for the first (and thank God for the last) time we encountered a gas station restriction. Diesel could only be refueled for 20 euros. I must say that we were very lucky, because. this was the beginning of the well-known strikes and a serious fuel crisis in France, and the very next day you could be completely without fuel and stuck in France for a week. In France, we tried to refuel at Shell gas stations. at that time there was a special promotion, when refueling for a certain amount for two euros, you could buy a model car (very solid, iron), and since our daughter loves cars very much, we could not pass by. As a result, we collected three cars out of six :)
The road to Pierrefonds cost a pretty penny, about 30 euros. Moreover, the payment scheme was initially unusual. When leaving the autobahn on the way to Caen, there are points with barriers where there are no cashiers, and tickets are simply issued. And already further, 100 kilometers to Paris, there are the usual payment points where you give the received ticket and see the number that you hit. So this site cost us 14 euros. Bypass tunnels near Paris cost 7.90 for some 30 km. Zam Castle Pierrefonds, although in the Middle Ages it was a kind of customs terminal, is located far from the main roads. Having left the highway, we made our way to it along roads similar to the paths in our parks. And in general, the forests in the castle area are more like parklands than a forest. Periodically came across parking lots with cars. People come just to walk. Without a navigator, finding the castle would be extremely difficult. Lots of crossroads and forks. All roads are similar to each other, narrow, small. But asphalt is good.
Around 13:30 we entered the city at the foot of the castle. The city is very small. There is no organized parking, arriving cars park on the streets, in free places. We park the car and head towards the castle. The road passes through a fairly large "flea" market. A kind of spectacle. Interesting and beautiful things come across.
But our goal is the castle itself and we are heading towards it. I must say that on this day it was even colder when we left Caen it was -2, in the afternoon the temperature rose to 7, but the wind was just icy. We went up to the gates of the castle just at the moment when a train with tourists was leaving it.
Aunty driver stopped in front of us and began to explain something in French. We didn't really understand. And she explained everything. I can't imagine such a picture in Russia. There is a full locomotive of tourists, and the aunt herself, having stopped, explains something to us for about 5 minutes, but she would have been eaten by us a long time ago :) In the end, she explained to us that the palace is closed for lunch from 14 to 15. How nice, they thanked her and went walk around the castle.
Again, the absence of tourists is a great opportunity to take beautiful pictures.
For half an hour they walked and went to warm up and have dinner. The choice of places for lunch is very modest, because. the city is quite small. We went into almost the only large cafe where we met ... the driver of a train (the train was parked nearby), which means it’s a good place, we thought and settled down at the table. The food was really tasty, although it was not delivered very quickly. Portions are usually huge.
pierfon castle
After lunch we went to the castle. There was not much time left, because. there was a long journey ahead. We walked around the castle for about an hour. The castle was destroyed and restored relatively recently, so there is not much smell of antiquity there.
In addition, almost half of the castle is closed to the public. Although even without it there is something to see.
We arrived in Stuttgart at 21:00. After the autobahns, driving 50 km / h through the streets of the city was painful. From all sorts of sources, we knew that to drive around the city you need an environmental plaquette (UmwelPlakette), a round sticker that is molded onto the windshield. The number on the plaque shows the exhaust level of the car. The fine for driving without it is quite heavy (about 40 euros) at a cost of 6 euros per plaque, however, as the manager at the hotel assured us, they can forgive us for the first time. Naturally, at 10 pm there was nowhere to buy it, but we arrived at the hotel calmly. At this time, the city is simply empty, it is very unusual and even somehow uncomfortable to be on the street.
Hotel in Stuttgart
We parked our cars in the parking lot at the hotel and went to check in. The hotel itself consists of two buildings. The rooms are not large, made antique, but comfortable enough. The next day was a free day in Stuttgart. Departure was scheduled for 21:00.
A gigantic fortress built in the late fourteenth century by Louis d'Orléans, brother of Charles VI, Château Pierrefonds was besieged and demolished in the early seventeenth century by Louis XIII. For almost two centuries, the ruins of the ancient fortress stood in their place, and no one was interested in them. At the end of the eighteenth and beginning of the nineteenth century, the emerging romanticism and the renewed interest in national monuments and traces of the past, completely returned interest to the castle of Pierrefonds. Artists, painters and engravers have found inspiration in perfect harmony with their thirst for national archeology. In addition, in the midst of the ruins of Pierrefonds, Louis-Philippe gave a large banquet on August 11, 1832 in honor of the marriage of his daughter to the Belgian Emperor Leopold I.
History of the castle
Sold in 1798 as national property, purchased by Napoleon in 1810. Pierrefonds Castle was listed as a historical monument in 1848. On July 15, 1850, the Prince-President Louis Napoleon, a lover of archeology, visited. A few years later, when he became Napoleon III, he wished to restore this castle, which was so close to the imperial residence in Compiègne. Thus, the architect Viollet-le-Duc, through the mediation of Mérimée, was entrusted in 1857 with the restoration of the medieval ruins of the castle.
The first stage of work from 1858 to 1861 included only partial restoration of the donjon, large towers and strengthening of the ruins. Since 1861, this principle of recreating "picturesque ruins" has been abandoned for the sake of the "imperial residence", that is, a resort intended for the entertainment of the court, in this case hunting. From restoration they switched to reconstruction, to the restructuring of medieval architecture. Viollet-le-Duc expressed the synthesis of his concepts in the field of restoration: to restore a building "means to restore it to a complete state that could never exist at the moment", he writes in 1866 in his Explanatory Dictionary of Architecture. He "recreated" the castle, which, far from being a fanciful forgery, is rather a free interpretation of the medieval period.
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The castle forms an irregular quadrangle, surrounded by eight large defensive towers, and its appearance corresponds to everything that was to become the fortress of Louis d'Orleans. On the other hand, the interior testifies to the aesthetic concepts of Viollet-le-Ducay, above all, to his talent as a decorator. The courtyard, restored in the late medieval style, already announcing the Renaissance, gives access to the main building and the chapel. The donjon, not isolated, but attached to the main façade, houses the imperial apartments, respecting its medieval function as the reception room of the manor house.
Upstairs, the visit begins with the reception area, which was supposed to welcome acquaintances of the Emperor and Empress. This is followed by a study, and then the room of Napoleon III and, finally, the same room of the Empress Eugenie, which are located in the tower of Julius Caesar. In these works, Viollet-le-Duc developed a decorative embellishment of carved panels and stencil graphics, where the richness of figures inspired by medieval bestiaries rivals the abundance of floral motifs. Through this use of the floral line, the stylization of the design and the use of strong polychromy, the architect appears here, fifty years ahead, as one of the forerunners of Art Nouveau, illustrated so brilliantly by Guimard or Horta. A recurring symbol, the imperial eagle adorns beams, walls, and chimneys, while historic friezes tell the story of 14th-century knights.
The large ceremonial hall of the castle, called the "Hall of the Knights' Ladies" ("La salle des Preuses"). impresses with its dimensions (50 m long and 9.50 m wide and 12 m high) and rich polychrome decoration. Everything here testifies to the splendor of the hall intended for imperial receptions, and also serves as a refuge for the beautiful private collection of Napoleon III's armor, which is now kept in the Les Invalides. Two sets of statues meet at the end of the room: Charlemagne flanked by paladin princes at the entrance, and a group of nine ladies adorning a monumental fireplace at the other end. Depicting Semiramis and her eight companions, Viollet-le-Duc gave them the features of Empress Eugenia and eight ladies of the court.
The cost of construction amounted to more than 5 million gold francs, of which 75% was financed from the personal treasury of the Emperor. Unfinished during the fall of the Second Empire, Pierrefonds' castle never received furniture designed by Viollet-le-Duc. The designer of the furniture was his brother-in-law, the architect Urado, who replaced him after his death in 1879 and took over the work, which finally ended in 1885.
pierfon castle
Condemned by many who only see it as a mere theatrical decor, Château Pierrefonds is controversial. An excellent vision of medieval art, the castle symbolizes the union of science and irrationality, the rigor of archaeological research and legends. A real fairy-tale castle, shows through its brilliant creator Viollet-le-Duc, the desire of the Second Empire to reconcile history and modernity.
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New features and excursions in the castle
The National Monument Center offers visitors a new tour. This allows you to visit the "Monduit" exhibition to discover the works in lead, and continue to the chapel with a magnificent view of the stained glass windows. This new itinerary allows visitors to distinguish between the periods that Pierrefonds Castle has gone through.
The cultural program offers animation all year round for visitors and especially families: exhibitions, concerts, seminars, shows.
Expert opinion
Knyazeva Victoria
Guide to Paris and France
Ask an expertChildren who want to explore the museum in a more interesting and fun way can go monster hunting through the new Fairy Menagerie app, available for free on smartphones.
The touch table was funded with the support of the Caisse d'épargne Picardie foundation and installed on the first floor, in the introductory area, to give visitors with reduced mobility a complete overview.
The app "Monsieur Viollet-le-Duc's Fantastic Menagerie" is offered to visitors to the Château de Pierrefonds and is aimed primarily at young people and families. The application allows you to discover hall after hall the history of the Pierrefonds castle, from its medieval origins to its reconstruction in the nineteenth century. First of all, it offers users the opportunity to go hunting for extraordinary fauna hidden among the carved, painted or wrought decorations of the building.
For this, there is a "Can you find...?" section that forces visitors to look for creatures depending on different spaces. The appendix also tells the identity of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, the architect who rebuilt the castle in the nineteenth century. A small character who accompanies the visitor during his visit. On several occasions, the app uses a QR code reader for small audio bonuses! Parallel to the tour, a rubric titled "monster witch book" allows users to learn more about the animals and monsters encountered, their origins and the power associated with them in the Middle Ages. Various games and bonuses are also offered, such as quizzes on the history of Pierrefonds or his monsters, humorous tests or even puzzles.
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