Château de Chinon

The Château de Chinon, residence of the Kings The Chateau de Chinon dominates the city of Chinon. It is composed of three parts which follow one another from east to west. the Fort de Coudray, the Château du Milieu and the Fort Saint Georges, named after the english patron saint Saint George. The story of the castle started back in the roman time, as they had noticed the interest of this strategic site. Afterwards, the castle was reconstructed according to the needs of each period. The Tour de l’Horloge, remarkable thanks to its structure quite flat (16-foot wide), gives access to the castle.

In 1450, the King’s court left the castle which was bought in 1633 by Richelieu, who deliberately neglected it in order to depreciate it because the Chateau de Chinon was more classy than his own castle. This is how started its time in the wilderness, until 1854, when started its restoration. It was listed as a French historical monument in 1840 and is now open to public and the Tour de l’Horloge houses a museum dedicated to Joan of Arc.