We’re in the little town of Les Andelys, France. It’s the first stop on our Seine river cruise through Normandy. When we look up, we see the massive remains of a medieval structure called Chateau Gaillard. It used to be Richard the Lionheart’s favorite place to hang out. That’s right – Richard the Lionheart.
Les Andelys used to be two towns – Big Andelys and Little Andelys. Today, it’s two towns in another way – it’s part English and part French. Most “English” folks live on one side of town, while most of the French live on the other. Those “English” folks were born on French soil, so they’re French citizens, but it’s not as simple as that.
When Normandy Became Normandy
Let’s pick up the background where we left off last time. Normandy became Normandy way back in 911, when a Frankish king gave the Norman/Viking leader, Rollo, this area in exchange for protection. Rollo, baptized as Robert I, became the first Duke of Normandy.
Norman settlers got baptized, too, and assimilated into the local culture. They expanded Norman territory while leaving Paris alone. Normandy remained separate from the Frankish kingdom. Normans made their own laws. They even printed their own money.
In the 1060’s, the king of England had produced no heirs, leaving the throne up for grabs. By way of intermarrying among royal families, one of Robert’s descendants, named William, became one of the legitimate contenders to the British throne.
Enter William
William, who was the Duke of Normandy at the time, decided to take matters into his own hands. He got an army together, sailed across the channel to England, and took the throne by force. It was decided at the battle of Hastings, in 1066. William, Duke of Normandy, was crowned King of England. He became known as William the Conqueror.
Things were relatively calm until William died, and then all hell broke loose. One of William’s sons, who had become king of England, invaded Normandy and made it part of England. How’s that for a twist? (More twists coming).
But the Count of Anjou, Normandy’s southern neighbor, wasn’t having any of that. He invaded Normandy, and drove the English back across the channel. But! (Stick with me here). Down the road, one of the count’s own sons, Henry II, became king of England, so Normandy was solidly “English” again.
King Henry II and Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine, had five sons, one of whom they named Richard. Richard seemed to have had fighting in his royal blood. He was only sixteen when he successfully commanded his first army.
Enter Richard I
Trouble seemed to follow Richard around. He got himself in trouble with both English and French royal family members. (It seems that in Richard’s time, due to numerous politically motivated marriages, just about all European royals were related in one way or another).
Troublesome or not, Richard managed to succeed his father to become King of England, Duke of Normandy, and Count of Anjou. You can be sure that a lot of blood and guts were spilled along the way.
Soon after becoming king, Richard set out with other European royals and their armies on the Third Crusade to the Middle East. The crusade was moderately successful. Richard’s heroic acts in battle earned him the name by which he’s known today – Richard the Lionheart.
Richard the Lionheart
But Richard had made many enemies among his royal peers, and instead of sailing home from the crusade, he found himself imprisoned by an Austrian Duke. He was ransomed out after two years, but in Richard’s absence, France had invaded and taken control of Normandy.
When he returned, Richard’s first order of business was to take Normandy back. In the process, he built a massive fortress called Chateau Gaillard. He found a perfect spot to build it, on a promontory overlooking the Seine, just above where we’re standing in Les Andelys. Its remains are still there.
We took our bus up to a place where we could look down on the ruins of Chateau Gaillard. It’s truly massive. Richard was its architect and personally oversaw construction. Military historians say it was a masterpiece, incorporating innovations that were hundreds of years ahead of their time. It became Richard’s favorite place to hang out.
There’s not much left of Chateau Gaillard today, but our guide did a nice job of painting a picture of what it must have been like back in the day. History buffs always make the best guides.
In 1199, Richard died from an infected crossbow wound. Richard I was the king of England, but he spent very little time there. (Historians aren’t sure if he even spoke english). Perhaps there wasn’t enough fighting to keep him in England, because Richard seems to have relished being in battle. If not in battle, then perhaps kicking back at Chateau Gaillard.
To be continued…
