Château de Gourdon

Gourdon, France, France

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Château de Gourdon in the hilltop village of Gourdon, Alpes-Maritimes, France, originated as a 9th-century Saracen fortress built by the counts of Provence to defend against invaders, later rebuilt in the 12th century with three surviving round towers and a northern wall, then extensively remodeled in the 17th century by the Lombard family into a Renaissance-style residence featuring arcades inspired by Paris's Place des Vosges and a trapezoidal layout.

Listed as a historic monument, it includes vaulted interiors like a former weapons room turned dining hall, a chapel, and museums displaying ancient armor, 17th-18th century furniture, and naive art, surrounded by manicured gardens with a double-spiral staircase under century-old lime trees designed by André Le Nôtre, offering panoramic views over the French Riviera at over 750 meters elevation.