Gaillon, commune in Eure, France
Gaillon is a small town in Normandy located on a hill overlooking the Seine valley with clear views of the river below. The town features quiet streets, old stone buildings with clay tiles and small windows that reflect a traditional look, and a calm, friendly atmosphere.
The first fortifications in Gaillon were built by Norman dukes to protect their border from French kings, and around 1192 King Philip II Augustus took control during a conflict. In the early 1500s Georges d'Amboise built a new castle considered one of the first Renaissance-style castles in France, which later served as a prison for about a century until the early 1900s.
The name Gaillon refers to a fortified place in its Latin origins. Today residents and visitors experience the town as a quiet community where old stone buildings and narrow streets shape daily life, and the Tuesday market remains the gathering place where locals meet and shop.
The town is easiest to reach by car from Paris and other major cities, with well-marked roads passing through rural landscape. Visitors should take time to explore the paved streets on foot, as many details of old architecture and local shops become visible when walking at a relaxed pace.
The castle served as a prison for about a century and housed young offenders from nearby towns, an overlooked chapter that remains visible in its walls and windows. This unusual history makes the site particularly interesting for visitors interested in more than just Renaissance grandeur.
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