A day at the Castles

So as you know, there were two castles within proximity of where I was staying in Beaucaire. You also know that this is something that I absolutely could not miss, so I decided that I would give the two castles a thorough once-over before I left for Avignon.

I woke up early that morning and left towards Tarascon, not far from Beaucaire to see the Château there. Just outside the door, I could already tell that it was going to be a great day because there was a pleasant wind coming from the north, carrying with it some cool mountain air. The walk itself was just over thirty minutes  which allowed plenty of time to enjoy the warm sun coupled with the soft breeze.

The canal on my way to the castle.
(That black line is the problem with my camera)

A view from the garden with the visitor's suite on the right.

I made my way to the castle where I crossed the moat and climbed my way up the cobblestone path to buy a ticket at the visitor's suite situated next to the herb gardens. The student tariff was pretty cheap and allowed me to work through the castle as I pleased, which made me very happy. This freedom allowed me to peek around every corner and to look into every nook and cranny, climb the damp spiraling stairwells and gain access to the roof. I'm telling you, my imagination was running in full swing. The dark, gated portal leading down to the cellar hid undiscovered suits of armor and the graffiti left by prisoners told me where to find all the secret passages; so I wished.

Some history, because it's good for ya:
Before there was a castle, the site served to protect the port through progressive improvements from a wooden fort to a stone fortress. It wasn't until much later in 1401 that Louis II of Anjou constructed the castle that we see today. It served as the throne for roi rene, a mint / treasury for some time, an estate for royalty and as a prison in the 17th century until it was acquired by the state in 1932. This unforgiving time as a prison for spanish and british maritime pow's left the castle with some scars due to some repurposing and left it void of its original furnishings. However, someone bought the castle and has since worked to preserve the remaining relics and to make essential restorations.

The Inner Cloister 

Chappell

Three examples of graffiti made by inhabitants and prisoners.

St. Martha's Collegiate Church
Burial place of Martha from the bible?

Looking down towards the garden

The Castle in Beaucaire.

Soaking up some sun while I rest for a bit

These prints are all in the "mariners" room. 

Most of them show different types of ships.

Others are religious. 

Sorry about these photos. For some reason the blog editor is giving me a really difficult time and will not let me rearrange them. Anyways, these last ones are from the chateau in Beaucaire.