Château de Nieul-lès-Saintes

The castle of Nieul-lès-Saintes, in the Charente-Maritime, is an irregular hexagonal enclosure: curtain walls 12 to 14 m high, pierced with arrow slits and topped by a wall walk that survives only on the façade, flanked by square towers. It is surrounded by dry moats, probably once fed by the nearby stream.

In the large inner courtyard, the living quarters and outbuildings stood against the curtain wall. Three stair towers led to the upper floors: one perfectly preserved, another partly restored, and the third surviving only underground, leading to very fine vaulted rooms 8 and 20 m long and 6.60 m wide. The simply furnished residence tries to recreate a medieval atmosphere, with some Renaissance touches: chest, credence and chairs with Gothic tracery, cathedra and 16th-century paintings.

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