Château Uzes Southern France

This exceptional castle, which has been completely restored, is mentioned in the written records as far back as 1150. It was given by Louis VII to the Bishop of Uzès in 1156. The castle includes two square towers from the medieval period (dating from the 12th century), which are the remains of the old fortress. The castle was in ruins after the religious wars and the lordship, which was held by the Thezan de Poujols family, was bought in 1653 by Canon Sconin, the maternal uncle of Racine. He demolished part of the old castle, which now consists of two separate parts: an east wing from the 12th century and a west wing from the 17th century, around an inner courtyard. In 1661, Racine wrote in "Lettres d'Uzès" that his uncle "has built a very beautiful house... it is the most regular and even the most pleasant in all Uzès". The castle is listed in the supplementary inventory of historic monuments.