Dismantled then Rebuilt, this is the Intriguing History of the Château de Pierrefonds 

Nestled in the lush forests of the Oise department in northern France, near the Forêt de Compiègne, the Château de Pierrefonds is a masterpiece of medieval revival architecture with a fascinating past.  

This imposing castle’s story intertwines medieval grandeur, royal intrigue, and 19th-century reinvention. 

The origins of the château date back to the late 14th century. Commissioned by Louis of Orléans, brother of King Charles VI, it was designed to showcase the wealth and power of the House of Orléans. Louis sought to assert his authority in the region and safeguard his territory during a period of political unrest in France. Built between 1393 and 1407, the château was a stronghold of Gothic military architecture, boasting an intricate system of defenses including a deep moat, drawbridges, and fortified towers.

However, the château’s prominence also made it a target. In 1617, during the early years of King Louis XIII’s reign, Pierrefonds fell victim to the political ambitions of Cardinal Richelieu. Declaring the castle a threat to royal authority, Richelieu ordered its partial destruction. For centuries, the château lay in ruins, a romantic relic of a bygone era, inspiring painters, writers, and poets who marveled at its haunting beauty.

Visionary reconstruction 

Pierrefonds’ fortunes changed in the 19th century thanks to Napoleon III, who envisioned restoring the castle to its former glory. In 1857, he commissioned Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, a renowned architect known for his work on Notre-Dame de Paris, to undertake the massive restoration. Viollet-le-Duc’s approach was both ambitious and controversial; instead of a faithful reconstruction, he reimagined the château as an idealized vision of medieval architecture, blending historical accuracy with his creative interpretation. 

The result is the Pierrefonds we see today—a fairytale-like castle that feels plucked from a legend. Its grand halls, ornate fireplaces, and intricate stone carvings reflect Viollet-le-Duc’s romantic vision. While some purists critique his liberties, there is no denying the château’s evocative charm. 

Today, the Château de Pierrefonds is managed by the Centre des Monuments Nationaux. It hosts exhibitions and events that celebrate its rich history and architectural splendor. The château has also found fame on screen, serving as a filming location for productions like The Man in the Iron Mask and the BBC series Merlin. 

For those who visit, Pierrefonds offers more than just a glimpse into the past—it’s an invitation to step into a world where history and imagination intertwine. Whether you wander its grand halls or gaze out over the forested landscape from its battlements, the château leaves an indelible mark, reminding us of France’s enduring cultural legacy. 

With such a history, it’s no wonder the castle has its share of secrets or unusual facts… 

An homage to cats 

Eugène Viollet-le-Duc had a particular affection for cats and to gauge just how far that affection ran, you just need to look up in the main courtyard and explore the skylights that pierce the roofs. Their gable is decorated on either side of the windows, with cats carved in stone.  

Beyond the eagle owl (grand-duc in French) very present in his work in reference to his surname, the architect had a particular affection for all nocturnal animals, capable of seeing in the dark. He considered himself a visionary, enlightening those who were in ignorance, and found a reflection of himself in these creatures with exceptional vision.

The room of echos 

An architectural feat, the Charlemagne Tower has many technological challenges. It also conceals an unusual feature… To discover it, you must access its lower room.  

The room is called the room of echoes. With its vaulted ceiling, it forms a perfect half-sphere of stone and in the center is an oculus – an opening which previously extended several floors up. Today, a circular stone slab closes the opening on all the floors above. But in the past, the passage allowed people to communicate with the upper floors from down below!

Indeed, because of the shape of the room, sound circulates there in a curious manner and creates a unique acoustic phenomenon. The smooth and perfectly hemispherical surface of the vault propagates sound. So, two people, each placed at one end of the room and facing the wall, are able to hear each other whisper perfectly. This is because the sound does not decrease in intensity, unlike the sound emitted directly through a normal room where sound waves disperse and decrease in power.  

In the Charlemagne Tower, the superimposed oculi therefore acted like a sound amplifier. Orders issued from the echo room, could be transmitted without loss of intensity to the upper floors. According to Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, this principle allowed the Middle Ages to better organize the defense of the castle. 

Napoléon III’s weapon collections 

By populating a legendary castle with weapons and armor, Napoleon III fully adhered to the tastes of his time. He restored the supposed atmosphere and environment of a medieval residence by installing its “arms cabinet”.  

When war broke out in 1870 against Prussia, Viollet-le-Duc took care to move the precious collection of armor of the Emperor to the Louvre Museum, for which he had drawn up the plans for the Salle des Preuses, then called the Weapons Room.   

 When they invested Pierrefonds, the Prussians searched in vain for the weapons, right up to the second basement of the castle cellars. After the fall of the Second Empire, reconstruction work resumed and despite insistent efforts by Viollet-le-Duc, the Salle des Preuses would never find its collection.   

It was permanently installed at the Musée de l’Armée in Les Invalides.

OPENING HOURS 

• From September 5th to April 30th – 10h – 17h 30 

• From May 2nd to September 4th – 9h 30 – 18h 

• Closed on January 1st, May 1st and December 25th 

For more information, visit https://www.chateau-pierrefonds.fr/