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Castleof Arques la Bataille


History of the castle

In 1035, the duke of Normandy Robert the Splendid one dies in crusade. He leaves for heir child a 7 year old, Guillaume the Bastard one, who will have to face the revolt of his paternal uncles: Mauger archbishop of Rouen and Guillaume, count d' Arques.

Located at one mile and half in the south-east of Dieppe, the castle of Arch rises on a hill arid and rocky dominating two vallèes and surrounded of an immense ditch, dug hand of man. He was surrounded in the beginning of a palisade of protection. The construction of the castle would have taken place between 1040 and 1045 per Guillaume of arch. Built of wood and ground, it rises on this natural hillock. This feudal mound could be 10 meters top. Hardly built, its William the Conqueror nephew besieges the castle of his uncle félon in revolt, that the famine makes capitulate in 1053 after one year of painful seat. This event will remain marked in the spirit of the duke of Normandy which will always take care to secure fidelity of this fortified town.

In 1123 young person wire of William the Conqueror become Henri 1st king d' Angleterre reinforces the castle with a square keep and a wall. In 1355, the keep is restored, the well feeding the castle has a depth of 106 then measure. In 1145, Étienne of Boulogne and Geoffroy Plantagenêt dispute the Duchy of Normandy under its walls. In 1204, Philippe Auguste annexes Normandy and seizes the castle with Richard Lion Heart: it is the last fortress Norman to be gone to king de France.

In 1367 Charles V makes make "new bridges and a neufve carries to the chastel of Arch" (back bridge levis). During the one hundred year old war, the citadel is the place of many confrontations, passing from the one with the other on several occasions. Talbot and Warvick seize on January 27, 1420 it. In 1431, it is the Bouteiller captain, who delivers Jeanne d' Arc to the torturer. Charles the bold fire the borough in 1472, but the castle resists.

In 1544 and 1545, king François Ier accomplishes frequent stays with Arques to monitor work of the artillery bastion of the entry of the castle, with his four reinforced towers. The Duke of Bubble, driven out dieppe by the Protestants takes refuge there May the 5, and 6 1562. In 1589 Henri IV will install his batteries there to beat the duke of Mayenne. (By error the guns destroy the porch of the church.)

In 1708, Louis XIV declares the old citadel "unsuitable with the service". Given up militarily since 1668 the dismantling of the building starts at the beginning of the XVIIIème century. Louis XVI closes down the citadel whose inhabitants are authorized to take the stones. In 1793, the monument is sold like communal good.

In 1836, a black band proposes to ensure the complete demolition of it and to resell materials of them. A movement of interest for this formidable ruin is organized around Achille Déville, Mr. Jules Reiset and Mrs. Reiset (owner) impassioned amateurs, buy it to avoid this destruction to him. In 1860, parts were arranged in museum.

In 1868, the state becomes about it owner and Historic building classifies it in 1875. This museum still existed with the day before of war 14-18, and even afterwards, but closed definitively in 1939. During the second world war it was occupied by the German army. It was used as station of monitoring with D.C.A and an ammunition dump was even installed there.

With the end of the Seventies, a guard commented on the visits.

Castle of the month :

Castle-Gaillard
Normandy - France
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