Palais ducal de Nevers, Renaissance castle on Loire hill in Nevers, France.
Palais ducal de Nevers is a Renaissance structure featuring distinctive polygon turrets and positioned on a hilltop overlooking the old town. The building combines refined stonework with fortification elements typical of its period.
Construction took place between 1467 and 1480 for Count John of Clamecy, who needed a seat of power for the Nivernais territory. Successive rulers occupied the building, and its ownership changed alongside the region's shifting political fortunes.
The palace displays exhibitions about the city's ceramic-making tradition, a craft that shaped daily life and commerce for centuries. Visitors can see how this skilled work became central to the town's character.
The entrance faces the valley side, and an underground museum section displays artifacts spanning the city's history across multiple periods. Comfortable shoes are helpful since pathways on and around the grounds involve some steep sections.
Excavations in 1988 uncovered rare 14th-century artillery fragments, including parts of early cannons now kept in the town's collections. These discoveries reveal that the site saw military use long before the palace was built.
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