Château de Pierrefonds

Pierrefonds

Rising above the village and the forest of Compiègne, Pierrefonds is a double dream in stone: that of a medieval prince and that of a 19th-century architect. Louis of Orléans, brother of King Charles VI, launched works here at the end of the 14th century (1393 or 1397, depending on the source) that were completed in under a decade, one of the most accomplished examples of late-medieval military architecture; the duke was assassinated in 1407. In 1617, Louis XIII had the fortress besieged and then dismantled, and for two centuries it remained a romantic ruin. Napoleon I bought back the remains in 1810; listed as a historic monument in 1848, the site was entrusted in 1857 by Napoleon III to Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, who was charged with turning it into an imperial residence. The works, interrupted by the fall of the Empire in 1870, continued until around 1885, though the imperial family never stayed there. The castle has become a sought-after film location: Camelot in the series "Merlin", "Les Visiteurs" and "The Man in the Iron Mask" were all shot here.

Getting there : Village of Pierrefonds, some fifteen km from Compiègne; open all year (Centre des monuments nationaux), car parks at the foot of the castle

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound