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The fortified castle of Gisors

The castle of Gisors is a landmark in the medieval history of Normandy. In addition to the legend of the Knights Templar’s treasure, the castle has been remarkably well preserved and is now being restored to its former glory.

Built as early as 1097, under the reign of William the Conqueror’s second son, the Château de Gisors marks a major milestone in the medieval history of Normandy. This fortification was designed to protect the Norman possessions of the King of England from the ambitions of the King of France. A veritable frontier and eastern lock for Normandy, it was part of a vast campaign to fortify the Epte valley, the natural boundary between the two kingdoms.

Discover

Le Château de Gisors - L'Eure et ses secrets - Épisode 3/4

Inside the 800 m-long enclosure, discover the castle keep and its surrounding walls, built on an impressive artificial motte castrale 30 m high and 70 m in circumference.

The Barbacane is the castle’s forecourt at the northeast corner of the enclosure. Access to the castle used to be via the Barbacane, a defensive structure leading to the Passage du Monarque, where the tourist office is located. The barbican is surrounded by curtain walls, the Governor’s Tower and the imposing circular keep built by Philippe Auguste, known as the Prisoner’s Tower.

Superb and mysterious engravings adorn the interior walls of the Tour du Prisonnier.

Every even-numbered year, “Gisors, La Légendaire” celebrates this exceptional heritage with a medieval festival of discovery and immersion in all facets of life in the Middle Ages.

Legend

The Templar Treasure

At Gisors castle

In the early 14th century, the fortress of Gisors was transformed into a prison. Knights of the Knights Templar are said to have stayed there, protecting it in turn, before, under French domination, some of them became prisoners: Grand Master Jacques de Molay, Hugues de Pairaud and several of the order’s preceptors. Legend has it that the Knights Templar hid a treasure there.

In the early 60s, journalist and author Gérard de Sède hired Roger Lhomoy as his gardener. Lhomoy, a former guide and janitor at the Château de Gisors, claimed to have discovered in 1946, after several years of clandestine excavation, a gallery followed by a chapel, which he described with confounding accuracy: beneath this 30m-long, 9m-wide, 4.50m-high chapel, he claimed to have seen 19 stone sarcophagi, 2m long and 60cm wide, and 30 precious metal chests, arranged in columns of 10 beneath the chapel’s nave.

Genesis of the legend

As early as 1960, curator Pierre Bourdil, the town council and the Beaux-Arts department dispatched a team of archaeologists. In 1961 and again in 1962, the year Gérard de Sède’s book Les Templiers sont parmi nous was published , excavations were again carried out, without success. The publication of this book unleashed passions and led to further clandestine excavations, threatening the stability of the building. The press and television picked up on the Gisors affair, to such an extent that, under popular pressure, André Malraux, Minister of Culture, sent the 5th Military Engineers from Rouen to carry out new excavations in the feudal motte, which were equally unsuccessful and catastrophic for the stability of the keep.

To this day, only traces of a visit to Gisors castle by Richard de Hastings, Toestes de Saint Omer and Robert de Pirou, three knights of the Order of the Temple, have been established. Nevertheless, the legend continues to fascinate young and old alike.

Visit

Gisors' castle park

Free access all year long

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Chateau Fort De Gisors Entree Adt De Leure J.f. Lange

All year round, visit the park of the Château Fort de Gisors free of charge.

From the park, you can admire this impressive edifice overlooking the town of Gisors, with a view of its medieval houses and its splendid church, also open to free visits.

Like all Gisors residents, you’ll enjoy strolling through this vast 3-hectare park all year round. In summer, you can enjoy a refreshing dip in the shade of the century-old trees, or take a picnic break at one of the tables by the bannetons, overlooking the château. The view of the château from the bannetons is well worth the detour. Access is via Place Blanmont, level with the statue of General Blanmont.

Open all year round, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from January to March and from October to December, and until 7.30 p.m. from April to September.

The château park may be closed to the public on certain dates, either because of an event taking place there, or because of a weather warning. Please contact the Tourist Office on 02 32 27 60 63 before visiting, to make sure it’s open.

Château park opening times

Visits & guided tours

April to early November

From April to early November, the Tourist Office offers two ways to discover this exceptional monument:

The “Entrée Découverte” formula, without appointment, lasting 1 hour,
The “Guided tour” formula, lasting 2 hours, by reservation only, available at no extra charge, according to a calendar of set dates.

From May to the end of the All Saints’ Day holidays in 2024, it allows visitors who come to the chalet set up at the entrance to the park (on the Place Blanmont side) to enter the monument without booking, accompanied by a receptionist who will open the doors to these parts of the site:

Prisoner’s Tower, where they will discover exceptional graffiti engraved in the stone,
Dungeon (for safety reasons, children under the age of 6 are not allowed access to the dungeon),
Cellars located under the feudal mound.

As the number of visitors admitted to the château is limited to 18 at any one time, this formula may involve a short waiting period if there is a visit in progress on the site.

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"Entrée Découverte"

Discover the monument

1 hour visit

From May to the end of the All Saints’ Day vacation in 2024, the “Entrée Découverte” allows visitors to access the monument without reservation, accompanied by a receptionist who will open the doors to these parts of the site:

Tour du Prisonnier (Prisoner’s Tower), where they will discover exceptional graffiti engraved in stone,
Dungeon (for safety reasons, children under 6 are not allowed access to the dungeon),
Cellars beneath the motte feodale.

As the number of visitors admitted to the castle is limited to 18 at any one time, This formula may involve a short waiting time if a guided tour is in progress on the site.

The receptionist’s job is to ensure your safety inside the site. For a guided tour, please book a guided tour.

Duration: 1 hour.

Details:

Recption is at the chalet inside the park next to the parkplace Place Blanmont on the following days and times:

May – June	Morning	Afternoon
Mondays, Tuesdays	Closed	Reception from 2pm to 5pm (château closes at 6pm)
Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays & public holidays	Reception from 10am to 12pm (château closes at 1pm)	Open from 2pm to 5pm (château closes at 6pm)
Closed Thursdays except public holidays

Except: park closed (no visits) from May 16 to 20 (Gisors La Légendaire), Sunday morning June 2 (Rendez-vous aux Jardins), Tuesday June 18 to Wednesday June 26 inclusive (during Kave Fest).

July – August	Morning	Afternoon
Every day including public holidays	Reception from 10am to 12pm (château closes at 1pm)	Open from 2pm to 5pm (château closes at 6pm)

Except: park closed on Saturday morning, July 6 (Olympic Torch relay), August 29 & 30. September 1: during Liberation Day Fest.

From September 2nd to 30th	Morning	Afternoon
Monday to Friday	Closed	Open from 2pm to 5pm (château closes at 6pm)
Saturday & Sunday	Reception from 10am to 12pm (château closes at 1pm)	Open from 2pm to 5pm (château closes at 6pm)

October	Morning	Afternoon
From 1st to 20/10/2024 Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays	Closed	Reception from 2pm to 4pm (château closes at 5pm)
From 21 to 31/10/2024 (All Saints’ vacation) Monday to Friday	Closed	Reception from 2pm to 4pm (château closes at 5pm)
From October 1st to November 3rd Saturdays, Sundays & public holidays	Reception from 11am to 12pm (château closes at 1pm)	Open from 2pm to 4pm (château closes at 5pm) Except Sunday November 3: reception at 2pm (château closes at 3pm)

* The park may be closed to the public on other dates, due to unforeseen events or weather warnings. Please contact the Tourist Office on 02 32 27 60 63 before visiting if you wish to make sure that it is open and that this “Discovery Admission” offer is available.

Discovery Entry” rates – 1 h without appointment :

Full price: €9
Reduced rate : 4 € (with proof of entitlement: jobseekers, people on minimum social benefits, students under 25, tourism professionals with business cards)
Free for children under 18.

Guided tours

On reservation

In season, the tourist office offers guided tours of the château. Available on reservation, these 2-hour tours, at no extra charge, are led by a guide.

They provide an in-depth look at the history and architectural features of this fortified castle:

The Prisoner’s Tower,
The dungeon (for safety reasons, children under 6 years of age are not permitted access to the dungeon),
The cellars beneath the motte feodale.

Duration: 2 hours.

Details :

Schedule & book online or with the Tourist Office on 02 32 27 60 63.

Prices for individual guided tours (Prices for group guided tours here)

Full price: €9
Reduced rate : 4 € (with proof of entitlement: jobseekers, people on minimum social benefits, students under 25, tourism professionals with professional card)
Free for children under 18.

Important

Exceptional closures
The château may be closed to the public for on-site events or in the event of adverse weather conditions.
- If you are planning to visit Gisors Castle without a reservation (Discovery Pass)
Please call the tourist office on 02 32 27 60 63 to make sure the site is open on the day you wish.
- Have you booked a guided tour?
In the event of a weather warning causing the park and château to close, the Tourist Office will contact all those who have booked a guided tour to offer them either a postponement, or a refund if their tour has already been paid for.
How many people can visit the château at the same time?
For safety reasons, the number of visitors to the château is limited to 18 at any one time, whether on a “Discovery Tour” or a guided tour.
Good to know and plan ahead
- This medieval site has a number of slopes and narrow staircases, with a total of over 300 steps throughout the monument: bring shoes suitable for walking.
- In very hot weather, we recommend that you bring a small bottle of water to quench your thirst (available from the Tourist Office below the site).
- For your safety and the preservation of the monument :
  - Smoking, vaping and the consumption of alcohol are prohibited. Any offender may be immediately excluded from the site without compensation.
  - Please respect the perimeters marked by barriers.