History of the fortress

Overlooking the crossroads of the three provinces of Anjou, Poitou and Touraine, the rocky spur upon which the royal fortress of Chinon stands is a strategic and much coveted location that has been occupied since Antiquity.

There has been a castle on the site at least since the 10th century, when Theobald the Trickster, Count of Blois, built a tower there. But it was not until 1154 that Henry II Plantagenet, Count of Anjou and King of England, set the fortress on the road to its present grandeur.

In 1205, King Philip Augustus of France took possession of the castle following a lengthy siege, and had the Coudray keep built.

The royal lodgings before their restauration

In 1308, the castle was the scene of a major event in the history of the Knights Templar. Their Grand Master, Jacques de Molay, and a number of the Order’s high dignitaries were imprisoned there before being condemned to death and burned at the stake in Paris.

In 1427, during the Hundred Years’ War, Charles VII’s court made its home at Chinon Castle. It was there, in 1429, that he received Joan of Arc, who had come to assure him of his legitimacy and persuade him to go to Reims to be crowned.

Joan of Arc		Charles VII

The fortress began its fall into decay in the 17th century, under the ownership of Cardinal Richelieu. In 1808, the monument was graciously handed over to the care of the Arrondissement Council – the General Council as it is now known.

The royal lodgings after their restauration

Now, after four years of restoration work on a scale unprecedented anywhere else in Europe, seeking to give the castle back the military splendour and cohesiveness that it enjoyed in bygone days, the Department bids you welcome to its 3rd-millennium fortress!

The monument’s ultra-modern and playfully interactive museography and scenography are unlike anything else of their kind in Touraine, and will take you into the heart and soul of this historic edifice.

Set off on the assault of the many towers punctuating the hundred and fifty metres of restored ramparts or, with the royal lodgings walk-through show to help you on your way, immerse yourself in the fortress’s civil and military history and slip into the skins of the many august personages who have left their mark on the monument. Admire the royal lodgings, restored in the manner of a 15th-century Touraine lodge, and feast your eyes on the magnificent panoramic views to be had from the many viewing points overlooking the Vienne Valley.