Mainly Museums - Henry’s Castle

I had come to France to ride the mechanical elephant in Nantes. I spent much of the rest of this trip trying to trace the footsteps of one of my historical heroes, Eleanor of Aquitaine. That chase led me to the small city of Niort to see one of its most notable landmarks – a castle built by Eleanor’s husband Henry II, a fortress affectionately known by the locals as the Donjon.

King Henry II started building his castle in about 1180. It was completed by his son Richard who would later become known as the Lionheart. The royal family never lived here, it was built for defense of the city, to store the city’s grain supply, and to control port activity in Niort. By the 15th century it became the governor’s residence, and housed barracks and a prison after the Wars of Religion (1562-98). It was abandoned during the French Revolution and purchased by the city of Niort in 1791. Restoration began in 1820, and the donjon was declared a historic monument in 1840, when it opened as a museum. It is the last remaining piece of the city’s original fortifications.

In spite of its status, I walked right by it, looking for something significantly larger. It is in fact, one of the smallest historical buildings in Niort.

The interior had the most interesting support structure I’ve seen, as well as some of the finest masonry. There were grates to keep people (and pigeons) from accessing some areas. It also had the scariest staircase of the entire trip – worn but very slick stone that felt like marble, and a rope banister that caused me to put my hands on the wall instead in order to better assure a safe descent.

The view from the ramparts was spectacular. Compared to the donjon, the surrounding churches and cathedrals are ginormous and stand out against a flat city skyline. I spotted an object I thought was a sundial, but which turned out to be a map of the city, carved into a large stone disk and mounted on a pedestal. The addition of a chair or two would have made it a nice place to enjoy a cup of tea and a biscuit…

The upper floors of the donjon house a collection of traditional furniture from the region, including the largest armoires I have ever seen (at least 10 feet tall), dating to about 1830. There was also a wonderful replica of a 19th century Niort living space that included an interactive video presentation in English. Some of my favorite pieces from that display included a pumice water filter, a framed bedwarmer called a monk that was used in France up to the introduction of electricity to homes in the early 20th century; and a dough box used for kneading bread and allowing it to rest in a warm and draft free area, which aids in its rising.

There’s an ethnographic museum in the bottom of the donjon, which has a couple of Roman era columns and other archaeological artifacts. Much of the room is filled with display cases showing products made from chamois, glass and clay that made up the primary industries of Niort. The chamois leather industry in Niort dates back to the 12th century and was most prolific from the mid-1500s to the late 1600s. By the 19th century chamois was being produced for clothing, belts and bags for the military. Glove making soon followed, and chamois from Niort was exported to European and American markets by the early 20th century. This area also gave me another opportunity to admire the architecture of the donjon.

Tips: The donjon - as with most of the castles I visited in France – is not accessible to the mobility challenged. I found the gift shop sorely lacking, catering primarily to children and filled with picture books and commercial versions of medieval costumes for ages 6-10.

The donjon faces the river and a really great park which I spent some time in. On the back side lies the market square and commercial shopping district. Niort is a small and compact city and easy to navigate, with a city bus system that you can ride for free. It is not a ‘tourist destination’ – the owner of the chateau I stayed in said that most people stop here briefly while on their way to other places. That translates favorably into less crowds and a more genuine experience.

Heather Daveno

Heather Daveno hails from Seattle, Washington, where she works as an office manager by day and a self taught textile artisan by night. In her spare time she is a “hobby historian” and is currently researching the female side of her family history for a book she plans to write, titled: “The Matriarch Diaries.”

You can see her current textile projects at August Phoenix Mercantile and her travels at Daveno Travels.