Château de Brie-Comte-Robert: A Medieval Castle in Brie-Comte-Robert, France

Visitor Information

Google Rating: 4.2

Popularity: Medium

Google Maps: View on Google Maps

Official Website: amisduvieuxchateau.org

Country: France

Civilization: Unclassified

Remains: Military

History

The Château de Brie-Comte-Robert is located in the town of Brie-Comte-Robert in modern-day France. The castle was constructed during the late 12th century by Robert I of Dreux, a member of the French nobility and brother to King Louis VII. It was built on land formerly known as Braia, which had belonged to the bishops of Paris, and around the same time, the settlement of Brie-Comte-Robert was established.

The castle remained under the control of the Dreux family until 1254, after which it passed to the Châtillon family. Later, ownership transferred to Marguerite d’Artois and her daughter Jeanne d’Évreux. Jeanne married King Charles IV, thereby incorporating the castle into the royal estates. During the 14th century, Jeanne d’Évreux extensively upgraded the fortress by adding elegant living quarters and a chapel dedicated to Saint Denis, attached to the north-east tower, known as the Tour Saint-Jean. She also developed expansive pleasure gardens. The castle gained prestige as a royal residence during this time, hosting dignitaries such as the Dukes of Burgundy and serving as the venue for the wedding of King Philip VI to Blanche d’Évreux in 1349.

In the 15th century, amid the turmoil of the Hundred Years’ War, Louis I, Duke of Orléans, undertook significant fortifications of the castle beginning in 1405 to strengthen its defenses. After his assassination, the castle came under the control of Burgundy and was strategically important along the route between Paris and Burgundy. It endured several sieges, including a damaging attack in 1430 by the English commander Humphrey Stafford. Control returned to Charles of Orléans in 1434, and subsequently, the castle was reintegrated into the royal domain under King Louis XII.

Throughout the 16th century, the castle was granted to various favorites of the French crown, including Louis de Poncher, Philippe de Chabot, Balthazar Gobelin, and Claude de Bullion. Italian noble families allied with Queen Catherine de Médicis also held the castle for a time. However, under their stewardship, the castle gradually declined, prompting a parliamentary order in 1567 aimed at preventing further deterioration.

In the early 17th century, the castle housed the young King Louis XIII on two occasions. During the chaotic period of the Fronde in 1649, royal forces led by the count de Grancey captured and heavily bombarded the castle, resulting in the destruction of its south-eastern tower. By 1681, the castle was in poor repair and considered unsuitable for living. Some minor repairs were made by Jean-Antoine de Mesmes before it passed into private hands.

Mid-18th century efforts saw Germain-Louis de Chauvelin receive permission to demolish much of the fortress’s towers and curtain walls down to the first floor, sparing only the notable Tour Saint-Jean. Later, King Louis XV repurchased the property in 1766 and traded it to his cousin, the count d’Eu. Ownership eventually passed to the duke of Penthièvre and then to the duchess of Orléans.

During the French Revolution, the castle was repurposed as a prison, holding figures such as Pierre Victor de Besenval. The property was sold as national property in 1793. The town of Brie-Comte-Robert reacquired the castle in 1803, sold it again in 1813, and finally bought it back in 1923. It was then converted into a public garden and declared a historic monument in 1925.

Since 1982, an association called “Les Amis du Vieux Château de Brie-Comte-Robert” has conducted archaeological excavations, conservation, and enhancement of the site. A major restoration program began in 2003 that included the partial rebuilding of the Tour Saint-Jean and restoration of curtain walls and the Tour de Brie. In 2005, a modern Heritage Interpretation Centre was constructed within the castle grounds to provide educational exhibitions on its history.

Remains

The Château de Brie-Comte-Robert occupies a roughly square area of about 2,500 square meters, each side measuring approximately 58 meters. It is situated within a natural depression, which was transformed into broad, water-filled moats roughly 15 meters wide and 5 meters deep. These moats are separated from the castle walls by a relatively flat zone about 12 meters wide known as the lices, originally gravelled and later divided into gardens by walls during the 14th century.

The castle’s outer defenses form a square curtain wall reinforced by a distinctive arrangement of towers. Four large round towers stand at each corner, aligned with the cardinal directions. These are complemented by two additional round towers positioned along the north-west and south-east curtain walls. Uniquely, two square towers serve as gatehouses opposing one another on the south-west and north-east sides, a rare setup in the Île-de-France region. Unlike typical medieval castles, the Château de Brie-Comte-Robert does not have a separate keep; instead, the north-east gatehouse, called the Tour Saint-Jean, functioned as the main defensive tower and emblematic feature. This tower originally rose to 33 meters and was crowned by the Saint-Denis chapel constructed in the 14th century.

The towers are built primarily from rubble limestone sourced locally from Brie, with carefully cut stone defining window and door frames as well as the building corners, known as quoins. The round towers have vaulted ground floors but lack internal staircases and contain very few openings, limiting their defensive effectiveness. Typically, access to upper floors was possible only via connected buildings within the castle.

Several towers had specific functions. The south tower, measuring about 8.4 meters in diameter, contained a complex multi-level system of latrines with an ovoid basin and a flushing arrangement fed by rainwater channels. The south-east tower, which largely fell into ruin, also served as latrines, featuring a dual-channel drainage method. The west tower housed a semi-subterranean, stone-floored room likely used for storing food, equipped with a small stone basin probably intended for washing and a ventilation slit placed high within one wall. Its upper level could be reached solely from adjacent structures. The north tower’s vaulted ground floor, accessible through a bent corridor, shows no sign of communication with upper floors or external openings and likely served as additional food storage. Its upper floor, heavily damaged today, was known in the 17th century to contain a dovecote.

The two square gate towers stand out with ground floors designed as guarded passageways including late 12th-century defensive features such as portcullises (heavy grated gates), murder holes through which defenders could attack enemies, and strong doors. The main entrance of the Tour Saint-Jean was particularly well-defended by a triple security system involving two portcullises and murder holes.

The curtain walls once rose 9 to 10 meters high, while the escarpment walls—low walls between the moat and the lices—did not exceed about 4 meters. Inside the enceinte, the lord’s residence comprised three main buildings erected along the curtain walls, surrounding a central square courtyard containing a well. These buildings had a main floor and an attic, with each room featuring a large fireplace set against the curtain wall. Excavations uncovered the layout of ground-floor rooms, including a large hall supported by stone bases for wooden ceiling beams and a bread oven. The great hall on the first floor (aula) was probably covered with decorated floor tiles bearing royal and personal heraldic symbols.

Access between seigneurial buildings was provided by an external staircase leading to the upper floor. Fragments of sculpted stone window tracery and stained glass found in the ruins confirm the presence of the 14th-century chapel attached to the Tour Saint-Jean.

Archaeologists also identified foundations of ancillary structures such as barns, storerooms, and servant quarters aligned along the south-west and north-west curtain walls. These outbuildings were constructed from rubble masonry bound with clay mortar.

Water supply for the moat came from nearby streams. The drawbridge at the main entrance was a counterweighted beam type, resting on a wooden pontoon raised on oak posts. The mechanism controlling the bridge was housed in a small shed nearby. Today, access to the castle grounds is provided by two modern bridges.

Conservation efforts since 1982 have focused on stabilizing and restoring many features. A major phase beginning in 2003 saw curtain walls rebuilt to heights over six meters, the Tour de Brie restored including its characteristic four-sided roof, and partial reconstruction of the Tour Saint-Jean informed by archaeological study. The courtyard still features a 17th-century paved sandstone walkway with drainage channels that divides the space into a noble section and a service area, echoing the 14th-century courtyard layout with a wall and gate located opposite the well.