| Château Gaillard (Coordinates) | |
|---|---|
| [[{{{image}}}|280px]] | |
| Spacial-Temporal Information | |
| Date | 10:00AM 3/5/1204AD |
| Planet | Les Andelys, France, Western Europe, Earth |
| Longitude | 2_44_10_E |
| Latitude | 40_3_41_N |
| Information | |
| Items | Richard I's Sword, arrow, key |
| Game information | |
| Game | Buried in Time |
Château Gaillard was built by Richard I. He considered it his "daughter".
History[]
Situated on a ridge of the Les Andelys mountains over the Seine valley, it was built as a defensive outpost to protect territories he had taken in Normandy. It remained untouched during the long rivalry with Philip Augustus.
Anticipating Philip's attack, Roger de Lascy was sent to Gaillard to lead the castle's defenses. Eventually in October 1203 Philip laid siege with 14 siege towers. King John sent a relief effort to surprise Philip with 300 knights, 3000 horsemen and 4000 footsoldiers, but all were slaughtered. The castle fell after 6 months on 6th March 1204.
What little remains of the Gaillard is now located in sector 44, part of a Historical Park.
Description[]
The exterior walls of the castle were made with the more finished stones (to look more imposing) while the rougher stones and rubbles were used for the interior structures.
Wooden roofs were covered with tin in order to protect against flaming arrows. Walls had holes protecting archers and allowing them to fire in a wide angle. Reclined wooden holdings were put before siege both to protect the archers and to allow soldiers to drop objects against climbing attackers. The interior towers were connected with wooden walkways, ready to be removed once a wall was overrun by invaders. Buildings were made of timber framework and the gaps filled with mud, clay and reeds. There was a smithery with a wood-burning forge, whose blacksmith was working on softer metals (bronze, copper or gold). He was caught copying keys.
The keep's inner bailey had rib-like structures "funnelled" dropped projectiles which bounced against the attackers in many trajectories. A unique piece of military architecture. However the bridge was the castle's weakness, as August's men sapped below it under the wall until a section collapsed.
The keep included the King's chamber with a tapestry hiding a mechanism accessing a secret stash. Below it, was the King's Study and the throne room. It was adorned with Richard's banners even 4 years after his death. Below it, a cellar and under it, a secret stash where treasure, including Richard I's Sword, was hidden. The main door to the keep was on the upper level, making it less acessible to attackers, and them, more vulnerable in the stairways.