The Château Saint-Jean is a
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
in the ''
commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
'' of
Nogent-le-Rotrou
Nogent-le-Rotrou () is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France.
It is a sub-prefecture and is located on the river Huisne, 56 kilometres west of Chartres on the RN23 and 150 kilometres south west of Paris, to which it is li ...
in the
Eure-et-Loir
Eure-et-Loir (, locally: ) is a French department, named after the Eure and Loir rivers. It is located in the region of Centre-Val de Loire. In 2019, Eure-et-Loir had a population of 431,575.[département
In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level ("territorial collectivity, territorial collectivities"), between the regions of France, admin ...]
'' of France.
History
Château Saint-Jean, which overlooks the roads from
Chartres
Chartres () is the prefecture of the Eure-et-Loir department in the Centre-Val de Loire region in France. It is located about southwest of Paris. At the 2019 census, there were 170,763 inhabitants in the metropolitan area of Chartres (as d ...
to
Le Mans
Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...
and from
Châteaudun
Châteaudun () is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. It was the site of the Battle of Châteaudun during the Franco-Prussian War.
Geography
Châteaudun is located about 45& ...
to
Bellême
Bellême () is a commune in the Orne department in northwestern France. The musicologist Guillaume André Villoteau (1759–1839) was born in Bellême, as was Aristide Boucicaut (1810-1877), owner of ''Le'' ''Bon Marché'', the world's first depa ...
from the plateau on which its stands,
[''Château Saint-Jean'', brochure by Office de tourisme in Nogent-le-Rotrou. ] was built in several stages. The rectangular
keep
A keep (from the Middle English ''kype'') is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in c ...
, in area, made of stone, remains high. It was built in the 1040s, making it one of the oldest keeps of this type still standing in France.
[ Its thick walls ( at the base and at the top) and the scarcity of its openings reflect its military purpose. The circular enclosure and the towers date from the end of the 12th century and the beginning of the 13th century.][ A dry ]moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that is dug and surrounds a castle, fortification, building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive ...
crossed by a drawbridge
A drawbridge or draw-bridge is a type of moveable bridge typically at the entrance to a castle or tower surrounded by a moat. In some forms of English, including American English, the word ''drawbridge'' commonly refers to all types of moveable ...
and the slope of the terrain to the west completed the defensive system.[ Between the 15th and the 16th centuries, several constructions gave the castle a more residential function, while the keep was abandoned.][
Without a garrison from the 17th century, the castle served as a prison during the ]French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
, before being sold to individuals.[ the castle has housed the municipal museum since 1959.]Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
mansions remain.[
]
Protection
It was registered as an '' historical monument'' by the French Ministry of Culture in 1948 and 1950 and protected in 1952.[
Nogent-le-Rotrou - Château Saint-Jean - Bridge.JPG
Nogent-le-Rotrou - Château Saint-Jean - 1.jpg
Nogent-le-Rotrou - Château Saint-Jean - 5.jpg
Chateau Saint Jean de Nogent le Rotrou.jpg, Keep
Nogent-le-Rotrou - Château Saint-Jean - Tour de la Chaise - 1.jpg, Keep
Nogent-le-Rotrou - Château Saint-Jean - Écusson - 2.JPG, Shield
Nogent-le-Rotrou - Marches Saint-Jean.JPG, ''Marches Saint-Jean''
]
See also
* List of châteaux in Eure-et-Loir
This article is a non-exhaustive list of the châteaux located in the French department of Eure-et-Loir in the Centre-Val de Loire region.
List of châteaux
See also
* List of châteaux in Centre-Val de Loire
* List of châteaux in France ...
* List of castles in France
This is a list of castles in France, arranged by Region and Department.
;Notes:
# The French word ''château'' has a wider meaning than the English ''castle'': it includes architectural entities that are properly called palaces, mansions or vine ...
References
External links
Ministry of Culture listing and photos for Château Saint-Jean
{{authority control
Saint-Jean
Castles in Centre-Val de Loire
Historic house museums in Centre-Val de Loire
Museums in Eure-et-Loir
Chateau Saint-Jean
Monuments of the Centre des monuments nationaux
fr:Nogent-le-Rotrou#Château Saint-Jean