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A little history of Nemours castle

The courtyard | Pierre Poschadel / CC-BY-SA
Castle Nemours castle

This fortress seems so peaceful! And yet, these walls knew so much wars, so much events... do you want to know more? Let's go!

Our story begins in 1130, when lord Orson raised his fortress: first, a massive rectangular tower flanked by round towers in angles; then, a square keep with storeys which used to house rooms. Between those two towers, a covered way allowed comings and goings.

In 1276, lords of Nemours gave their castle to the king of France. English troops plundered the city during the Hundred Years War, but after, Nemours became a duchy and peerage: king Louis XII gave the castle to Jacques d'Armagnac in 1461.

Armagnac modernized the fortress by adding conical roofs to towers and larger windows. In 1528, king François I gave the estate to his uncle Philip of Savoy, who kept it in his family until 1666.

During French revolution... Gloomy days! Castle of Nemours was transformed into a jail...

Fortunately in the 20th century, the city hall owned it: it nowadays houses a museum.

But wait a little... I forgot something! On the 7th of July 1585, king Henri III and Catholics leaders gathered in the castle: they signed the Edict of Nemours!

It says Protestants had to recant, they had to go into self-imposed exile... This Edict also rang the beginning of the 8th war of Religion...

About the the author

Vinaigrette
I'm fond of strolls and History, with juicy and spicy details!