Vincennes castle, located in the South-Eastern suburb of Paris in Vincennes, bears little resemblance to the other castles of France – is a grim battle of the citadel with a severe history.

It all started with a hunting Lodge of Louis VII built on this very spot about 1150 years. In the XIII century by the efforts of Philip Augustus and St. Louis IX here have already appeared on the castle. Here in 1270 St. Louis went to fatal for his crusade to turn the Sultan of Tunis to Christianity. In Africa, the king fell ill and died. At Vincennes castle was celebrated the wedding of Philip III and Philip IV, died here Louis X, Philip V Long and Charles IV.

A real defensive structure, the castle became later, in the XIV-XV centuries. Philip VI had built an impregnable donjon tower, Charles VI closed the perimeter of the external walls. Construction completion arrived just in time: during the religious wars of the XVI century the castle became a prison. It was detained by the future king and founder of the Bourbon dynasty, Henry IV.

In the seventeenth century Louis XIV set out to make the castle his residence. Designed by architect Louis Left here pavilions were built for the Dowager Queen and cardinal Mazarin. However, the king's attention switched to Versailles, the work was stopped. A century later, the kings finally left the castle. One time there was Vincentka porcelain manufactory, then again. Here were imprisoned the Duke de Beaufort, financier Nicolas Fouquet, Marquis de Sade, a free-thinker Diderot and politician count Mirabeau.

In 1804, the phrase "the château de Vincennes" was for Europe a symbol of lawlessness and state violence. By order of Napoleon in the night from 14 to 15 March 1804 French Dragoons made a lightning RAID on the territory of the Duchy of Baden, where he lived on the situation of the emigrant French Prince, the Duke of Enghien. Duke grabbed, moved to France early in the morning and shot in the moat of the castle.

In the twentieth century it had been executed the famous spy Mata Hari. On the outcome of the occupation the Germans were shot in the fortress three dozen innocent hostages. The retreating Nazis blew up the pavilion of the king and part of the casemates.

The historic castle is a Museum since 1934. Immediately after the Second world began its restoration, it is now fully restored.