The remains of the Château de Vendôme (11th - 17th century) and its collegiate church, Saint-Georges, are a reminder of the power of the Counts, and later Dukes, of Bourbon-Vendôme, who rose to the throne of France with Henry IV.
The medieval enclosure, whose walls are still partly visible, dates from the 12th century. The Poitiers Tower, the main tower, still dominates this ancient fortified structure. The castle was damaged by two assaults: in 1562 by the Huguenots and in 1793 by the Revolutionaries. The heart of the castle is occupied by a beautiful English-style park created in the 19th century, which offers a unique panorama of the town.
The parkland of the Bourbon-Vendôme château is a pleasant place to relax, with winding paths and an English-style park laid out in the 19th century, offering an excellent panorama of the town.
References:Ogrodzieniec Castle is a ruined medieval castle originally built in the 14th–15th century by the W³odkowie Sulimczycy family. Established in the early 12th century, during the reign of Boles³aw III Wrymouth, the first stronghold was razed by the Tatars in 1241. In the mid-14th century a new gothic castle was built here to accommodate the Sulimczycy family. Surrounded by three high rocks, the castle was well integrated into the area. The defensive walls were built to close the circuit formed by the rocks, and a narrow opening between two of the rocks served as an entrance.
In 1470 the castle and lands were bought by the wealthy Cracovian townsmen, Ibram and Piotr Salomon. Then, Ogrodzieniec became the property of Jan Feliks Rzeszowski, the rector of Przemy¶l and the canon of Cracow. The owners of the castle about that time were also Jan and Andrzej Rzeszowskis, and later Pilecki and Che³miñski families. In 1523 the castle was bought by Jan Boner.