Château Gaillard is a medieval castle ruin overlooking the River
Seine above the commune of Les Andelys, in the French department of
Eure, in Normandy. It is located some 95 kilometres (59 mi) north-west
of Paris and 40 kilometres (25 mi) from Rouen. Construction began in
1196 under the auspices of Richard the Lionheart, who was
simultaneously King of England and feudal Duke of Normandy. The castle
was expensive to build, but the majority of the work was done in an
unusually short period of time. It took just two years and, at the
same time, the town of Petit Andely was constructed. Château Gaillard
has a complex and advanced design, and uses early principles of
concentric fortification; it was also one of the earliest European
castles to use machicolations. The castle consists of three enclosures
separated by dry moats, with a keep in the inner enclosure.Château
Gaillard is a medieval castle ruin overlooking the River Seine above
the commune of Les Andelys, in the French department of Eure, in
Normandy. It is located some 95 kilometres (59 mi) north-west of Paris
and 40 kilometres (25 mi) from Rouen. Construction began in 1196 under
the auspices of Richard the Lionheart, who was simultaneously King of
England and feudal Duke of Normandy. The castle was expensive to
build, but the majority of the work was done in an unusually short
period of time. It took just two years and, at the same time, the town
of Petit Andely was constructed. Château Gaillard has a complex and
advanced design, and uses early principles of concentric
fortification; it was also one of the earliest European castles to use
machicolations. The castle consists of three enclosures separated by
dry moats, with a keep in the inner enclosure.Château Gaillard was
captured in 1204 by the king of France, Philip II, after a lengthy
siege. In the mid-14th century, the castle was the residence of the
exiled David II of Scotland. The castle changed hands several times in
the Hundred Years' War, but in 1449 the French king captured Château
Gaillard from the English king definitively, and from then on it
remained in French ownership. Henry IV of France ordered the
demolition of Château Gaillard in 1599; although it was in ruins at
the time, it was felt to be a threat to the security of the local
population. The castle ruins are listed as a monument historique by
the French Ministry of Culture. The inner bailey is open to the public
from March to November, and the outer baileys are open all
year.Richard the Lionheart inherited Normandy from his father, Henry
II, in 1189 when he ascended the throne of England. There was rivalry
between the Capetians and the Plantagenêts, Richard as the
Plantagenêt king of England was more powerful than the Capetian king
of France, despite the fact that Richard was a vassal of the French
king and paid homage for his lands in the country. From 1190 to 1192,
Richard the Lionheart was on the Third Crusade. He was joined by
Philip II of France as each was wary that the other might invade his
territory in his absence. Richard was captured and imprisoned on the
return journey to England, and he was not released until 4 February
1194. In Richard's absence, his brother John revolted with the aid of
Philip; amongst Philip's conquests in the period of Richard's
imprisonment was the Norman Vexin and a few towns around such as Le
Vaudreuil, Verneuil and Évreux. It took Richard until 1198 to
reconquer a part of it. Château Gaillard Top Movies & Young Movies