Ramparts of Gourdon

En un regard

Le château en bref

The ramparts of Gourdon are the remains of the fortified enclosure that protected the hilltop village of Gourdon, in the Alpes-Maritimes, ranked among the most beautiful villages of France. The site occupies a rocky spur overlooked by the Château de Gourdon, whose origins go back to the Middle Ages and which was rebuilt and altered from the 12th to the 18th century. The ramparts still visible, notably those bordering the north side of the village square, are pierced with gun loops and former access gateways. They bear witness to the defensive character of this perched settlement, which succeeded an earlier occupation of the site attested by the remains of an ancient camp and oppidum. The village, whose tight urban fabric follows the terrain, thus preserves a coherent ensemble of fortifications combining ramparts, old gates and a castle.