Discovering Vincennes: A Tranquil French Château Experience

Paris, Aug 14 (AP) For those visiting France and finding the bustling crowds at Versailles overwhelming, a more tranquil château experience awaits in the Paris region: the fortress of Vincennes. This medieval royal residence, featuring Europe's tallest keep, once housed notable figures such as the Marquis de Sade.

Located just east of Paris, a mere 15-minute metro trip from the city center, this fortress offers an immersive journey into the past as visitors enter through its drawbridge.

According to local guide Cindy Smili-Yesli, the castle of Vincennes is considerably older than Versailles and is closer to Paris. “It's a fairly quiet castle,” she notes. “The visiting conditions are much more pleasant. Here, you can really take a close look at every detail of the decor in the keep.” Vincennes attracts up to 145,000 visitors annually, compared to the over eight million who visit Versailles.

Europe's Tallest Keep The Château of Vincennes, constructed during the latter part of the 14th century amidst the Hundred Years' War between France and England, sits on land that once hosted a royal manor used as a hunting lodge.

French King Charles V, who took the throne in 1364, chose it as his residence. The towering 52-meter keep was intended to signify France's might.

“It has been a powerful symbol of the royal monarchy since the mid-14th century,” explains Smili-Yesli.

However, Vincennes also symbolizes a notable English triumph over France. Following the successful military campaign of Henry V of England, he and his court resided at the château, as stipulated by the 1420 Treaty of Troyes. Henry V died at Vincennes in 1422, at the age of 35.

“Legend tells that his body was reduced to ashes in the castle's kitchens, with his bones subsequently recovered,” Smili-Yesli recounts.

Famous Figures Imprisoned From the 15th century onward, the keep served as a prison. Among its famous prisoners were the future King of France Henri IV, implicated in plotting, writer and philosopher Denis Diderot, and the Marquis de Sade, famed for his libertine writings.

“The Marquis de Sade was imprisoned in the keep of Vincennes in the mid-to-late 18th century due to his writings and libertine actions,” Smili-Yesli says. “Initially held on the first floor of the keep, he was later moved to a more uncomfortable, cold, and damp cell on the ground floor as a punishment for his conflicts with his cousin, the Count of Mirabeau.” Many common prisoners, including women involved in notorious poisoning and witchcraft scandals between 1679 and 1680, were also incarcerated at Vincennes. Some graffiti left by detainees can still be seen etched into the stone walls.

A Gothic Holy Chapel Opposite the keep stands the remarkable Holy Chapel, exemplifying Gothic architecture. Its mid-16th-century stained glass windows illustrate the Apocalypse through a series of breathtaking scenes.

The castle served as a royal refuge during times of upheaval. In 1648, amid kingdom-wide rebellions, young King Louis XIV sought sanctuary there.

Seeking greater distance from the sometimes-hostile Paris, the Sun King later commissioned a palace in Versailles to the west, relocating his court there in 1682. (AP)

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