Vincennes

In the thirteenth century King Philip Augustus built a manor house in the royal forest of Vincennes near Paris. Charles V (r. 1364-80) in turn rebuilt this hunting lodge as a castle with the great tower we see today, finishing it in 1370. Like many fourteenth-century castles, it had a rectangular plan with walls, moat, corner towers, and central gateways, but it was not designed to withstand a serious siege. A residential tower standing in the middle of the west wall and an independent defensive system of walls and moat make the chateau of Vincennes secure against treachery. A chapel resembling the Sainte-Chapelle in the royal palace in Paris stood in the courtyard. Begun in 1379, it was not finished until 1552.

The tower house at Vincennes is a masterpiece of fourteenth-century architecture. The tower with its battlements stands about 170 feet high. Each floor has a single large room with a central pier supporting a stone vault. Corner towers provide space for additional small rooms and garderobes. Spiral stairs provide access to the six floors and roof. A large ceremonial stair leads from the second-floor entry to the royal residence and to a chapel on the third floor. Lords attending the king occupied the fourth floor, and the fifth floor provided lodging for servants. The top floor and roof line are battlemented, and the space is entirely given over to military use.

Symbolic Ceremonies: Public and Private

The late Middle Ages saw an increase in desire for private spaces as well as domestic comfort. The great hall still formed the focal point of castle life and architectural design and the stage for ceremony and feasting. The lord and lady of the castle and their guests seated at the high table were served a banquet of three to five courses, each of which might have as many as 15 dishes. Those at the tables in the hall usually had a buffet with much less food. Heavy food was served first, and delicacies and sweets at the end. Wine was the usual drink; spiced wine was served at the end of the feast. Between the last courses spectacular displays of food, such as swans or peacocks that had been roasted and then returned to their skin and feathers, might be presented. At this time, live human actors might perform skits or juggling or gymnastic acts. From the minstrel’s gallery over the screens passage, musicians entertained. The musicians might be in the permanent employ of the castle, or they might wander from place to place and so also bring the latest news and gossip. In the fifteenth century musicians even organized into guilds.