Castle of Vincennes. Vincennes Castle in Paris. More about the castle
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To get to Vincennes Castle you need to take the metro to the Château de Vincennes station.
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The entrance to the castle is located a few meters from the metro station 
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For some reason, Vincennes Castle is rarely visited by tourists 
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To the right of the entrance is a large moat that runs around the entire castle 
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Central gate to the castle 
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Story
XII-XIII centuries
Around 1150, a hunting lodge was built on the site of the castle for Louis VII. In the 13th century, the estate was expanded by Philip Augustus and Saint Louis (it was from the Vincennes Castle that Louis went on his fatal crusade to Tunisia).
In the second half of the 13th century, Kings Philip III and Philip IV married in the Château de Vincennes, and Louis X, Philip V the Long and Charles IV died.
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Story
XIV-XVI centuries
In the 14th century, under Philip VI, the castle was significantly expanded and acquired a donjon tower 52 meters high, in which royal chambers and a library were located. Around 1410, already under Charles VI, the perimeter of the outer walls was completed.
During the French Wars of Religion in the 16th century, the castle became a prison, including for the future king Henry IV.
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Story
17th century
In the 17th century, the architect Louis Leveau built two pavilions by order of Louis XIV - one was intended for the dowager queen, the other for Cardinal Mazarin. However, after the king's attention was diverted new project- Versailles - work on the arrangement of new courtyards was abandoned. Builders came to Vincennes again only in 1860 under the leadership of the restorer Viollet-le-Duc.
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Plan of the castle of Vincennes 
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Story
XVIII-XIX centuries
Storming of the donjon by revolutionary people on February 28, 1791
In the 18th century, the kings left the castle forever. It housed the Vincennes porcelain manufactory (since 1740) and, again, a prison. The Duke de Beaufort, Nicolas Fouquet, John Vanbrugh, the Marquis de Sade, Diderot and Mirabeau sat in Vincennes.
In 1804, in the ditch of the fortress, on the orders of Napoleon, the kidnapped Duke of Enghien was shot.
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Story
XX century
In the 20th century, the French executed Mata Hari in the castle in 1917, and the Germans executed 30 peaceful hostages in 1944.
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There is a military base across the street 
Being in Paris, getting to the Château de Vincennes is very easy, because for many years it, together with the Bois de Vincennes, has been part of the city limits and line 1 of the Paris metro has been laid here :) The final station is called “Château de Vincennes”
Entrance to the castle grounds is free
Visit to the Donjon - 7 euros
In the 12th century. The Capetians are building a hunting estate in the Bois de Vincennes. At the beginning of the Hundred Years' War, John II the Good (1350-1364) built a donjon nearby. The construction is completed by his son Charles V (1364-1380). The donjon and the manor are then surrounded for protection by a fortress wall with 9 towers. After the death of Charles V, the construction of the Sainte-Chapelle begins: its portal will become one of the first masterpieces of flaming Gothic. In the 16th and 17th centuries, during turbulent times, sovereigns hid behind the walls of a huge castle. The new buildings mark the occasional presence of Louis XIV (1643-1715) before he finally settled in Versailles. Vincennes loses its role as a royal residence, but after the Revolution it becomes a large arsenal. By decree of March 16, 1808 Napoleon consolidated its military significance and adapted the castle for modern artillery, demolishing the towers of the fortress wall.
The city tower is the main gate to the city and has retained its height.
Castle plan
Once upon a time there was water splashing in the ditch
Pedestrian bridge design
View from the City Gate
Arsenal. Building from the reign of Louis XVIII (1815-1824)
View of the City Gate from the castle grounds
Sainte-Chapelle. Built in the likeness of Sainte-Chapelle on the Ile de la Cité
Moat around the Donjon
Under the arch of the Chatelet. Initially, the façade of the Châtelet (the main entrance to the donjon) was lavishly decorated with sculptural decorations
Donjon courtyard
Bridge connecting the Chatelet with the Donjon
The patrol road in the Middle Ages was not covered
One of the consoles in the Meeting Room located on the 1st floor of the Donjon
Central column of the Meeting Room
A wide and comfortable staircase, commissioned by the king, leads to the second level of his house
View of the Chatelet from the Donjon
Above the Meeting Hall are the royal chambers - exactly the same room, but more elegant decoration
Fireplace of the royal chambers
A restroom built into the console after the end of the third floor. The niche under the window with a side is a medieval sink
View from the Donjon window
Watch road around the Donjon
View of Sainte-Chapelle from the patrol road
Entrance to the Chatelet
Pavilions in classical style, built in the 17th century. first by Mazarin, then by Louis XIV. Currently closed to the public :(
View of the Chatelet from the Watch Road
Entrance to the classical part of the Château de Vincennes
King's Pavilion on the right
The queen's pavilion on the left is symmetrical to the king's pavilion
The Bois Tower was transformed into a triumphal arch
To maintain a single classical ensemble, openings were cut in the southern part of the rampart
View of Dojnon from the city
Monument to Saint Louis at the walls of Vincennes Castle
Vincennes Castle is located in the suburbs of Paris. It is very different from other castles in France and Europe. Firstly, the Vincennes fortress is large and is considered the largest structure in France. The area of the entire structure is 5.5 thousand square meters. Main tower The castle was recognized as the largest in Europe. First of all, the castle has an atypical location for such structures. In ancient times, fortresses were installed close to the least protected areas of the country. As a rule, these were places with hills, mountains, and ravines. Vincennes Castle, contrary to all the rules, was built in open space. The ditch that surrounded it was filled with water from a shallow stream. Now there is a small area of forest left around the castle, but previously it surrounded it on all sides. It was famous for its varied game and gathered statesmen during the hunt.
History of Vincennes Castle
Vincennes Castle was not built right away, like any other castles of those times. The whole story began with the desire of Louis VII to build a hunting lodge. But after construction it was used during festivities. Royal families and their elite spent their free days here and held weddings. It is known that Philip III and Philip IV celebrated their marriage in the castle.Vincennes Castle was popular among the population. Many French monarchs chose it as their residence. This is where the Crusades began. After some time, it became necessary to strengthen the castle due to the unstable military situation. In 1337 the central tower was erected. Charles V, who was born in this castle, chose it as his residence. It was he who carried out a number of reorganizations that helped strengthen the castle. Construction lasted 10 long years, as it turned out to be very expensive. Time passed. The castle grew and developed. In the 16th century, the chapel built near the castle was sacred. For a long time, the main tower housed the personal chambers of the monarchs, until they were moved to new premises near the fortress wall. And all because the space in the tower was small enough for the luxurious life of monarchs.
Vincennes Castle was one of the three official residences of the kings of France. In the 17th century, the Sun King ordered the construction of two wings, called the King's wing and the Queen's wing.
Time passed, and the residence was moved to the Palace of Versailles. Vincennes Castle has noticeably lost its position, becoming simply a military fortress. They even set up a prison for important people of the state in the central tower. Voltaire, Denis Diderot, and the Marquis de Sade visited it.
With the change of rulers, the purpose of the castle also changed. It began to serve as a weapons arsenal. That hunting lodge was destroyed, and in its place strategic buildings were erected that have survived to this day.
Modern Vincennes
The castle has gone through many tragic historical periods, but has remained virtually unchanged. In 1964, the French president planned to move his residence to the palace, but this idea was never realized. Today the palace is recognized national museum. But access is only open to the Chapel and the main tower. All other premises are closed for reconstruction.
The main tower or donjon is quite impressive in size and stands out from the rest with its architecture. It consists of six levels, each of which had its own specific function. The tower is surrounded by a wall. It has not so thick walls, but despite this it looks quite powerful.
Tourists should definitely visit the Holy Chapel, made in the Gothic style. It is special in that it has two prayer rooms - one for the king and the other for the queen. It is worth paying attention to the stained glass windows. They were created by master Nicola Boren. During the war with the Germans they were destroyed and replaced with identical stained glass windows. But even the analogues did not last long and were lost in 1999.
How to get to the castle
You can get to the palace at public transport. From metro line 1 you get to Chateau de Vincennes station. And now you are there. You will find the entrance in the City Tower. Visiting the castle is free. You only need to pay for excursions or indoor visits. Once inside, you will find yourself on an alley from which you will travel, booking an excursion or on your own. Next you come to the main square, which offers a magnificent view of the Main Tower. You can get into it by passing through the bridge. It is also recommended to visit the chambers of the royal couple. They are a room divided by a partition. Louis XIV rarely vacationed here, but his mother Anna of Austria loved Vincennes and often visited it.
In the middle of the 12th century. A royal hunting lodge was built on the outskirts of Paris in the Bois de Vincennes. Its first owner was Louis VII. Over the next century, this house was used for royal hunting, expanded several times and by the end of the 13th century it became the elegant Vincennes castle, which became the residence of the Valois dynasty.
The main building of the castle had the shape of a rectangle, it was surrounded by a moat (the moat has survived to this day, although there is no longer any water in it). At Louis XI The royal apartments were moved to this building, and a young man lived in them for several years. Louis XIII with his mother - Marie de Medici. During times Louis XIV Two symmetrical classical pavilions with a common courtyard were built for the king and queen, and openings were made in the southern part of the fortress wall. This stage of reconstruction was carried out by the architect Louis Levo. In 1639, a tower clock and a bell were installed on the bell tower, which called the inhabitants of the castle to prayer.
Several government institutions are based on the castle grounds: the archives of the Ministry of Defense, the Research Center for the History of National Defense and the commission for the restoration of the castle.
Avenue de Paris 94300 Vincennes, France
chateau-vincennes.fr
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The Duke of Beaufort walked through walls similar to these (“a face like the Attorney General”) in 1645, taking out a rope ladder from a pie brought to him. Unfortunately, this is all a restoration, a remake, as they say now. Vincennes Castle, founded almost 900 years ago in a deep forest as a royal hunting residence, survived a number of wars and fires, but was completely destroyed by the retreating Germans in 1945.
You see, they had a headquarters in the castle. That’s why I didn’t go inside on a tour: what to see? Place. Where, according to legend, could Charles the Ninth have slept if the walls around his bedroom had been preserved? Stupid. But I wandered around the courtyard and around, and in the guidebook they write that the castle was restored very close to the latest version. Of course, this is not Windsor or Versailles. The castle served its entire life as a fortress, prison and barracks. In the casemates of the castle they were enclosed in different time Marquis de Sade, Diderot and Mirabeau. In inner palaces Catherine de Medici, Louis XIII and XIV were hiding from various troubles. The walls of the castle were destroyed by Napoleon to adapt their height to the needs of artillery, and then Louis Philippe completed the construction again, turning the castle into a permanent prison. Before the war itself, the General Headquarters of the Republic was located in Vincennes. Now its premises house the army archive. That is, there is a lot of history mixed in this place.
Through a massive, tall watchtower with a single gate, we enter a spacious courtyard. A huge empty square surrounded by a wall, along which runs a strip of squat buildings. On the left side of the square there are preserved excavations. Near them there are signs in such incomprehensible French about how cool everything was before. The pits are lined with stones - the remains of the first house, built in the 12th century. Straight ahead across the square is another rear gate with access to the outer courtyard of the castle. In this photo they are visible in the archway. Near the back gate the church is a smaller copy of the famous one, and to the right there is a huge tower. That's all, actually. Let's take care of the tower.
The inner tower is a castle within a castle. It is said to have been restored very accurately. There is an entrance fee to the tower. It has six floors and is surrounded by another moat along its perimeter. Another view:
Overall, the building is impressive. To enter the tower, you need to go through a drawbridge, climb to the ridge of the wall and cross along a narrow pedestrian bridge at a height of about 10 meters. There is no entrance to the tower from the ground at all. It was all built by Charles the Fifth in the 14th century. For example, the prototype of the modern bell seen above first rang in 1369. Charles had everything prepared in case of a long siege. In addition to its purely defensive function, the tower served as a treasury. In it, Charles kept all the gold of the kingdom.
Charles made the world's first fortified area out of Vincennes Castle. That is, I will list it again: a giant outer ditch, a watchtower with a drawbridge, a second ditch, another drawbridge, a climb to the wall around the tower, another drawbridge at a decent height - yes, this Karl was simply schizophrenic! And then the Germans came and just blew everything up. So build after that.
As was the case with any residence, some kings loved it, and some kept it in reserve. In general, the Bois de Vincennes became Royal five hundred years before Charles, already in 847. Just think about it, 500 years, that’s a lot, that’s forty generations, and now we’re either 1369, 847, or some 1900 - all the same. Humanity is running a sprint. Perhaps the finish line is just around the corner.
Another king who also loved this place very much was called Louis the Ninth Saint. He earned his nickname for his gentleness and, as they would say now, closeness to nature. In the Bois de Vincennes he had a favorite tree, under which he held the highest royal court.
Monument to the Holy King. On the right is a picture depicting a good monarch under his favorite tree. In accordance with today's moment, I would caption this picture as “Plan of Saint Louis - Plan of France.”
This is the castle church - Chapelle. The architecture is unusual - the length is equal to the height, and the width is about three times less. This makes the church look awkward, like a lanky teenager. But inside there are amazing light effects, when the whole air seems to tremble and shimmer. As I mentioned above, the older sister church of the Château de Vincennes is called Sainte-Chapelle and is located a stone's throw from Notre Dame on the grounds of the Palais de Justice. Probably many people have been there. I've been there twice already. It is believed that Sainte-Chapelle has the most beautiful stained glass windows in the world, and it makes sense to visit it only on a sunny day. Indeed, inside the Sainte-Chapelle there is a completely unusual feeling, so I highly recommend it. Well, this is true, at the level of free advice.
The Church of the Château de Vincennes was, unfortunately, closed, so I have nothing more to add about it.
Behind the gates of the first courtyard, absolutely symmetrically on the right and left, there are two palaces that have now fallen into complete disrepair. They don't seem to be used much. Mazarin began the construction of palaces after the Fronde with an eye to the future, so that there would be a place to rest in comfort in case of the next uprisings. This activity was completed by the Sun King Louis XIV. One house is called the King's Palace, the other the Queen's Palace. Equality.
Unfortunately, there is nothing more interesting in the Vincennes Castle. There is, however, also a small military museum, but I didn’t go to that either. If you cross the square with the Mazarin palaces to the end, there will be an outer fortress wall, behind it a slope and then, logically, there should have been a forest in which a thousand years ago there were a variety of royal animals. But the forest no longer exists. There is a car park, and behind it there is some greenery. Probably the remnants of former luxury, turned into a Central Park of Culture and Culture.