"Pierrefonds" Pierrefonds Travelogue by wanderlust23

This beautiful castle is so foreboding on the outside, it sits atop a hill overlooking the town below as if keeping watch over the city. Seeing it these days, it's hard to believe that this castle was literally destroyed once, and then later rebuilt to it's former glory. The following pictures will give you an idea of what it's like to visit this castle, especially on a freezing January evening.

The chateau was the residence of Louis d'Orleans and the Orleans family since 1393. It then was taken in 1589 by Antoine de Saint-Chamand in the name of the Holy League. Finally, in 1617, Louis XIII ordered Cardinal Richelieu to siege the palace and then demolish it. The castle sat in ruins until 1810 when Napoleon I purchased it, having the idea of restoring it. He was not the one to do this, but rather Napoleon III started restauration in 1857, continued until 1885. The castle now stands as it did in former days, even how it looked in 1393. The courtyard is done in the Renaissance style. The interior was never finished, however.