Chateau Gourdon

Long desert, it was only the “site of Gordo.” Who will “Gordon” and Gourdon.

758 meters from a fantastic pic-rock.

A point of stone and lavender in the great Roman Romana Porvincia whose indigenous retained “province” to make, with the emphasis, our wonderful “Provence”.
But the Romans back to Rome and the Barbarians move. The Frankish kings conquered and bands Saracen raid. And the eagle nest becomes refuge for peasants in the valley. We are only the ninth century. But already three centuries before that Paris does the foundation stone of the Louvre, the Chateau de Gourdon exists.
Certainly different from what it is today, but then the foundations are there still sealed in the rock, to bear witness to the thousand years old.
From there, the fate of Gourdon is to be sentinelle arms, watching the horizon of the sea, controlling troops in the convoy. Place of France advanced to face the House of Ventimiglia, Nice County future land but then foreign and hostile.
 
And at this point in the twelfth century, the Counts of Provence, to muscle their border, then draw up plans for a real fortress. Raze, rebuild, fortify. Impenetrable wall to the north, sentry post at the sheer rise in the south and west. Later, three towers and a dungeon the whole crown. The eye to watch, the weapon foot, Gourdon standby for France.

 
Alas, it is France against France. Wars of Religion. But Henri-Charles de Grasse Canaux command takes place and head to Ligueur.
1584: that, as at Verdun later, “we do not.”

Castle damaged? Whatever. Are reconstructed by refining the architectural style.

1598. Louis Lombard bought the lordship of Gourdon. And Henri IV confirms property for very long service, and tax exempt rights lawyer in this court, finding there a castle, began to transform.

Each is activated. The Gourdon is built today. Trapeze asymmetric architecture. Frontage transferred to the West (no longer defends it hosts), arcades and a first floor inspired by the Paris of the Place des Vosges. A second floor, but more laborious, more poverty. The Lord is not rich, and less noble stone attests.
Masters of the country of eagles, and one another Lombard. Married a Grimaldi, losing an arm at the Battle of becoming mayor or Rocroy Gourdon …

Henri IV

 
Another war? Is that of the Austrian Succession. Gourdon, in first line host de Guise, Brigadier General. To take its neighborhoods. But also to get beat in a duel with the Marquis de Bissy. Duel become state secret because, under Louis XV, on the duelists fusilli … or too great lords, we preferred to ignore. The boxwood cut a terrace in the French retain their secret …

This is the Revolution, the Terror. Jean-Paul Lombard ler, acquired new ideas, not n’émigre. The sans-culottes, to comply with the Revolution, however, kill the dungeon, but to emphasize the liberalism of a master Freemason, merely to reduce the top floor of the towers.

1914-1918. The war does not spare the children of the village. Gourdon, with peace restored, becomes the property of Miss Norris. American citizen. Generous personality and high culture, seduced by a past that is not home, becomes the lord of Gourdon, until his death.

1942-1945. Busy, the castle is a privileged observation post for the German army. In l950, it is finally open to visitors. But to take his final vocation of a historic monument in 1971. When it opens to the collections which are exhibited.

Witness of our past. Each of his stones reflecting a moment in the history of France