Centre des monuments nationaux

Come and visit Vincennes castle, an imposing fortified royal residence and fine example of medieval architecture located just outside Paris.

Visiting Vincennes castle 

• The keep (completed in 1370). Standing 50 metres tall, the keep, the tallest in the Middle Ages, was an architectural feat. A film in the council room recounts the history of the castle during the reign of Charles V.

• The Sainte Chapelle (1379 - mid-16th century). The chapel is modelled on that of the Palais de la Cité in Paris, and its west portal is one of the masterpieces of the Flamboyant Gothic style. 

• The enclosure and towers. The enclosure is 1100 metres long, with towers standing between 40 and 42 metres tall. 

• The neo-Classical palace. In the 17th century Louis Le Vau, who went on to become the architect of Versailles, designed two new buildings for Louis XIV: the King's pavilion and the Queen's pavilion.

Understanding Vincennes castle 

• A symbol of the modern State. The building affirms the power of the monarchy. It guards the capital, whilst at the same time protecting the kings against uprisings. It was at the heart of the French monarchy until 1682, when Louis XIV opted to settle in Versailles. The keep was used as a prison from the 16th up to the 19th century: Fouquet, the Marquis de Sade, and Mirabeau were held here. Under Napoleon I it was transformed into a barracks and arsenal, and the fortress protected Paris during invasions in the 19th century. 

• A place of national remembrance. Vincennes castle was restored after suffering extensive damage in the Second World War, and the historical services of the three French armed forces are now conducted here.