page_title: Keep of Pons
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Keep of Pons / History
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Le grand escalier reliant la ville basse à la terrasse du château, à Pons
context_page_description: The Keep of Pons is an 830-year-old fortified tower located in Pons, France and is one of the few remnants of the original castle of Pons. The keep is located near the chapel and porch of Saint Gilles and remains of the ramparts. On a hill and visible from a distance, this 33-meter-high edifice is used as the symbol of the city.
context_section_description: Built on the site of an oppidum, the castle of Pons was an important medieval stronghold due to its location as a hub of roads including those for the pilgrims of Saint James. 
  The location and relatively high and defensible elevation made the Pons castrum a particularly coveted fortress. It belonged to the lord of Aulnay, Charente-Maritime, to the dukes of Aquitaine, then to the lords of Pons. The original keep was at destroyed in 1136 by the Count of Poitou. 
  Razed in 1179 by the Duke of Aquitaine Richard Lionheart following a revolt of his vassal, the castle was rebuilt in 1187 by Geoffroy III de Pons with the addition of the imposing quadrangular Keep of Pons, partially over of the foundations of the original, smaller keep and partially over new foundations. 
  Based on the chapel facade, it is believed that the chapel was also rebuilt during this period.
  The castle was again destroyed in 1622 (with the exception of the keep and some defensive elements) by the armies of Louis XIII following the siege of 1621. A few years later, Marshal Caesar Phoebus d'Albret had the current main building erected. Despite its cold appearance, several rooms within the Keep have comfortable interior with wooden ceilings and mounted canvas decorated with allegorical figures. The base of the ramparts has been partially preserved, and forms a walk from which one can enjoy a panoramic view of the Seugne valley. Caesar Phoebus d'Albret, Sire de Pons, ordered the construction of the monumental staircase which connects the upper city to the lower city. 
  The buildings and vestiges of the medieval castle were bought in 1806 by the municipality. Only the Castral Chapel and the Saint-Gilles porch, the Keep and the ramparts on the cliffs are the remains of the medieval fortress. The municipality set up the esplanade in the public garden and repurposed the main building as the town hall. The keep was classified as a national heritage site (monument historique) in 1879. 
  The facades and roofs of the Town Hall, as well as the arches serving as the base of the building were designated as monuments in 1991. The two painted ceilings of the 17th century, the first located on the ground floor of the South Tower, the second in the great hall of the ground floor were also designated national heritage pieces the following year (1992). Archeology digs continue to reveal more information about the approximate size of the original castle as well as additional structures that were once present.
caption: The grand staircase or Grand Escalier of Pons connecting the lower city to the château terrace
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