HOUDAN

. The small city of Houdan (Ile-de-France), situated at the confluence of the Vesgre and the Option, preserves a 12th-century bkeep, the only remains of the castle of the Montforts. The transformation of the keep into a water tower has complicated the study of its interior. Elements of its unusual plan, however, are still discernible. A round tower approximately 100 feet high and 50 feet in diameter, this keep is flanked by four turrets, each 6 feet 6 inches in diameter, that run the height of the tower. The walls, 12 feet thick, are made of millstone. Conical roofs must have topped the central tower, as they do the turrets. The keep could be accessed only by a door in the north turret situated 20 feet above the level of the soil. This limited and somewhat hidden access encapsulates one of the most striking features of the keep’s interior: its complex arrangements for moving from one floor to another. For example, this outer door opens onto a corridor that ends at a stone staircase leading to the first story, a square room whose corners lead to the alcoves of the turrets. This central room, or Grande Salle, served as the lord’s. In addition to the corner recesses leading to the turrets, sets of staircases and ladders lead from this room or floor to others. In short, to get from one room to another or into the turrets, one had to pass through the Grande Salle. And it was here that the lord of Montfort resided, since from this vantage he could watch over the comings and goings of all those who entered and in this way could deal with any treasonous activity.

E. Kay Harris

De Dion, A. “Description de la tour de Houdan.” Bulletin monumental (1865): 392-98.

Find, J.-F. Forteresses de la France medievale. Paris: Picard, 1970.