Château de Château-Thierry, Château-Thierry, France

During the 8th century, Charles Martel kept king Theuderic IV prisoner in the castle of Otmus. At this time, the town took the name of Castrum Theodorici, later transformed in Château-Thierry (Castle of Thierry, Thierry is the French or early Roman language translation of Theuderic). In 946, the castle of Château-Thierry was the home of Herbert le-Vieux, Count of Omois of the House of Vermandois & Soissons.

In 1060, Hughes Lambert leveled the top of the hill. The castle of which we see the present-day ruins was founded in the 12th century by the Counts of Champagne. Château-Thierry Castle was rebuilt between 1220 and 1230 by Theobald IV, Count of Champagne, and until 1285 fell under the Lords of Coucy. After that date the castle was part of the royal domain, and then ceded in the early 15th century to Louis I, Duke of Orléans. After his death in 1407 the castle returned to the royal domain.

During the 15th and 16th century the castle was adapted to the use of firearms. The town and castle were taken by the English in 1421 and in 1544 by Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor.

The Duchy of Château-Thierry was later given to the Bouillon Family, who left it without proper maintenance, causing the castle to fall into ruin.

At present you can see the remains of an enclosure which was defended on the north side by a wall with 8 circular towers with arrow slits, dating back to the early 13th century, and on the south side by a wall with rectangular towers with breeches for guns. One of these towers contains a staircase leading into the gardens. There are also remnants of the gate and the Roman keep and foundations of several other buildings to be seen. The size of the enclosure is very large so this must have been a formidable castle.

At present the site of Château-Thierry Castle can be visited freely during daytime.

References:

castles.nl

User Reviews

H. Särkkä (12 months ago)
You can enter the castle area without a ticket or a fee. It's really beautiful and interesting and there's a great view over the town.

Wilpher Ospina (13 months ago)
We had the opportunity to enjoy of walking through this beautiful and magical place, it's like to get back in time. That town is itself magical. Pd. You can get there from Paris in public transport, by metro.

Таша (2 years ago)
Great place for walking. You can see what kind of kiwi leaves and sit on a bench enjoying the view. Nearby there is where to drink coffee, have a snack. And there is a place for children to play, a rope park. A beautiful historical place. Impressive and empowering.

Piranyan Hovik (3 years ago)
Point d’observation sur la Marne. To walk and gramp (not difficult one) for grate viewing.

Ashley (3 years ago)
Those ruins are just magical. It transports you in another era. You must just enjoy the trip and the view over the city.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Ninara

Historic Site of the week

The Church of the Holy Cross

The church of the former Franciscan monastery was built probably between 1515 and 1520. It is located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Old Rauma. The church stands by the small stream of Raumanjoki (Rauma river).

The exact age of the Church of the Holy Cross is unknown, but it was built to serve as the monastery church of the Rauma Franciscan Friary. The monastery had been established in the early 15th century and a wooden church was built on this location around the year 1420.

The Church of the Holy Cross served the monastery until 1538, when it was abandoned for a hundred years as the Franciscan friary was disbanded in the Swedish Reformation. The church was re-established as a Lutheran church in 1640, when the nearby Church of the Holy Trinity was destroyed by fire.

The choir of the two-aisle grey granite church features medieval murals and frescoes. The white steeple of the church was built in 1816 and has served as a landmark for seafarers.

Château de Château-Thierry

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

The Church of the Holy Cross