The castle of Gaillon

The castle of Gaillon is a Renaissance aristocratic residence near Gaillon in the French region of Normandy, located along the Seine between Paris and Rouen, and has been considered for centuries one of the most prestigious French architectural achievements, surrounded by exquisitely decorated gardens and a large park for hunting, the main core of the building. It was built for Cardinal Georges d'Amboise, minister of Louis XII, and patron of artistic culture from Italy, which he had been able to know in his missions in Milan. Around 1502 the Cardinal, Archbishop of Rouen, decided to extend and transform a previous fortified residence and so began the construction, directed by French builders from the Loire valley. Around 1506 the Italian architect Fra' Giocondo, whose role is not clear, intervened on the complex building site, but he had to introduce, on bodies of the building already partly built, an architectural language more dependent on Italian architecture, for example in the design of the openings and cornices. Starting in 1506, Parcello da Mercogliano worked on the design of the gardens, structuring them according to the Renaissance taste then in vogue. At the centre of the gardens there was a splendid fountain made of Carrara marble. At the sides of the gardens there was a play of labyrinths made of hedges and trees, the whole was enclosed by walls adorned with towers. Other French and Italian artists worked at Gaillon, including Pierre Delorme, Pacello da Mercogliano, a specialist in gardens who was responsible for the original layout of the exterior of the castle. The death of d'Amboise did not interrupt the work which was extended by his successors. Gaillon Castle remained the favourite residence of the archbishops of Rouen for a long time.