By Château de Châteaudun
Château de Châteaudun
Architecture
Châteaudun or the royal residence of Jehan Dunois
It became the property of Jean d’Orléans, a favored companion of Jeanne Arc, and it was he who had the west (Dunois) wing built between 1450 and 1468. The layout of this main building, with its small, more comfortable, refined rooms reflects the need for comfort that followed the Hundred Years’ War.
Châteaudun between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance
The profound originality of the castle of Châteaudun stems from the fact that there is a gradual transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance that allows the two styles to coexist. The castle courtyard, located between the "Dunois wing" and the "Longueville wing", has also retained two loggia staircases, one with a flamboyant decor and the other, which follows the same pattern, from the Renaissance era. In Châteaudun, over a relatively short period, builders smoothly and seamlessly adopted the style of their time.
Restoration
Long neglected, saved from ruin through its acquisition by the State, the castle of Châteaudun was restored after 1939 under the direction of the architect Jean Trouvelot (1897-1985). The restoration of Châteaudun is of particular note in its adherence to the architecture and sculpture of past centuries as well as to finishing touches that match the original features as closely as possible.
Key dates
Around 1170: construction of the "big tower" by Thibaud V, Count of Blois Around 1170: construction of the "big tower" by Thibaud V, Count of Blois 1439: Charles d’Orléans gifts the County of Dunois to his bastard half-brother Jean, henceforth known as "Dunois" 1450: reconstruction of the roof of the "big tower" by Dunois 1451-1454: construction of the Sainte-Chapelle, first phase: choir and high chapel Around 1459-1468: erection of the west (Dunois) wing Châteaudun castle, View of the Dunois counts’ castle 1460-1464: construction of the Sainte-Chapelle, second phase: south nave and oratory 1468: death of Jean d’Orléans 1469-1491: construction of the basement floors of the Longueville wing by François I of Orléans-Longueville 1509-around 1518: construction of the upper floors of the Longueville wing by François II of Orléans-Longueville and his successors 1723-1815: the castle suffers various types of damage Around 1860: Théodore de Luynes undertakes a restoration project 1870: Prussian bombardments 1938: the Duke of Luynes sells the castle of Châteaudun to the State
This virtual exhibition has been put together by teams from the Centre des monuments nationaux, with the help of teams from the Château de Châteaudun, the support of teams from the images unit and coordination by the digital unit.
The images were taken from Regards - Banque d’images des monuments © Centre des monuments nationaux.
