CHÂTEAU-GAILLARD
. One of the first European castles raised in the style of the crusader fortifications of the
Holy Land. Built at Eure in Normandy in 1196–98 at the behest of the English king
Richard the Lionhearted, Château-Gaillard stands on a precipitous cliff 300 feet above
the Seine River. The castle consists of three baileys arranged in a line, with a donjon,
which may have been a later addition, standing on the edge of the precipice, principally
within but also projecting outside of the inner bailey. Five years after its construction,
Château-Gaillard was besieged by Philip Augustus. Building his own siegeworks of
trenches and towers, Philip began his assault on the castle. Using siege engines, sappers,
and mines, the French took their prize in March 1204, but not before suffering high
casualties. Château-Gaillard was besieged several times during the Hundred Years’ War.
In 1418, the French lost the castle
Château-Gaillard (Eure), ruins of
castle. Photograph courtesy of William
W.Kibler.
to Henry V’s English forces after six months of siege; in 1420, the French retook it,
although the English regained it soon thereafter. Finally, in 1449, Charles VII restored it
to French control.
Kelly DeVries
Dieulafoy, Marcel. Le Château-Gaillard et l’architecture militaire au XIIIe siècle. Paris:
Klincksieck, 1898.
Fournier, Gabriel. Le château dans la France médiévale. Paris: Aubier Montaigne, 1978.
Héliot, Pierre. “Le Château-Gaillard et les fortresses des XIIe et XIIIe siècles.” Château-Gaillard
1(1962):53–75.
Ritter,Raymond. Châteaux, donjons et places fortes: l’architecture militaire du moyen âge. Paris:
Larousse, 1953.
Toy, Sidney. A History of Fortification from 3000 B.C. to A.D. 1700. London: Heinemann, 1955.
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