Château d'Uzès, Medieval castle in Uzès, France
Château d'Uzès, also called Le Duché, is an 11th-century fortress on the highest point of Uzès. Its 42-metre Tour Bermonde, built by Bermond I in the 12th century, rises beside a 16th-century Renaissance façade and a Flamboyant Gothic chapel whose roof bears glazed Burgundy tiles with the arms of Antoine de Crussol.
The site began as a Roman castrum before being developed into a fortified castle in the 11th century under Lord Elzéart d'Uzès. Later modifications added medieval and Renaissance elements that transformed the structure over the following centuries.
The castle represents the first duchy of France, and the Crussol family has shaped its character and use across many generations of ownership.
Visiting requires patience for climbing narrow stairs and steep passages to the castle's upper levels. It is wise to wear comfortable shoes and be prepared for physical exertion, especially in warm weather.
The keep, the Tour Bermonde, rises 42 metres and was built in the 12th century by Bermond I d'Uzès. It is one of four towers in Uzès that mark the medieval seats of power: the royal Tour du Roi, the episcopal Tour de l'Évêque and the cathedral's Tour Fenestrelle, also 42 metres high.
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