Château de Gaillon is a French castle situated on the River
Seine about km north-west of Paris, in the department of Eure.
Château of Gaillon Historical Facts
It is a medieval fortress, owned from 1263 by the archdiocese of Rouen,
previously stood on the site, built around a quadrilateral courtyard. It was ruined during the
Hundred Years War but was substantially repaired by Cardinal Guillaume d’Estouteville.
The Gaillon castle was rebuilt in the Renaissance style,
its earliest manifestation in France, by Georges I d’Amboise, Cardinal–Archbishop of Rouen, who had
served as governor of Milan.
The gallery adjoining the Grant’Maison (rebuilt 1988) is evidence of the
aesthetic changes and of the exceptional refinement of this skilful combination of Flamboyant and
Renaissance sculpture.
The courtyard façades were decorated with medallions of Roman emperors and of
Mars and Minerva.
There were also statues of King Louis XII (now in the Louvre), Georges I
d’Amboise, and his nephew, another Cardinal–Archbishop of Rouen, Georges II d’Amboise. In the
centre of the court stood a large fountain (now at the Château de la Rochefoucauld in Charentes)
.
The château was confiscated by the Revolutionary authorities and sold to a M.
Darcy, who dismantled it and sold architectural elements piecemeal in Paris until 1809.
Parts were bought by Alexandre Lenoir for his short-lived Musée des Monuments
Français, Paris.
After its closure, the Gaillon fragments were re-erected in 1834 by (Jacques-)
Félix Duban in the main courtyard of the Ecole des Beaux Arts, Paris. From 1975 they were returned
to Gaillon as part of an extensive restoration programme.
Château de Gaillon Visitor Infromation:
The access to the Gaillon Castle is provide only by guided tours. A tour
will last 1,30 h.
Opening times and Ticket information
Week (closed Tuesday): Departure Tours at 10:30, 14:30 and 16:00
Weekend: Departure Guided Tours 10:30, 14:30, 15:15, 16:00 and 16:45
Admission:
Adults (18 years): € 5
Children (6-17 years): 2 €
Children under 6 years - Free addmission
Contact details:
For more information please visit de official website or contact the:
The Tourist Office at 02 32 53 08 25 and the Gaillon Town Hall at 02 32 77 50 00.
Château of Gaillon Map&Location
Château de Gaillon Address: Allée Ermitage, 27600 Gaillon, France. Use this map to get
directions:
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