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Château de l'Empéri today

France · Restored

Château de l'Empéri

The Château de l'Empéri is a medieval castle on the rock of Puech overlooking the plain of the Crau at Salon-de-Provence, France. Built from the 9th century and altered in the 15th–16th centuries, it now houses the museum of Art and Military History and is listed as a monument historique.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1550

Today

Restored

As it stood in 1550

What Château de l'Empéri looked like in its prime.

Perched on a rocky outcrop above the plain, the castle presents warm beige limestone curtain walls with low red-tiled roofs and rectangular window openings. Two prominent towers dominate the silhouette: a tall slender square tower with crenellated top and a larger, squat square keep with corbelled machicolations beneath its battlements. The main entrance is an arched gate set into the curtain with a short forework; overall surfaces show coursed ashlar masonry and stone dressings around doors and windows.

Its story

The story of Château de l'Empéri.

The Château de l'Empéri is a 9th-century castle built on the rock of Puech, dominating the immense plain of the Crau at Salon-de-Provence. It served as a residence of the archbishops of Arles and of the Holy Roman emperors.

Altered in the 15th and 16th centuries, the castle fronts the Place des Centuries, which leads into the church of Saint-Michel. It has been listed as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture since 1956 and today houses the museum of Art and Military History.

Step inside

8 places to explore in 1550.

The record describes 8 distinct spots at Château de l'Empéri, including 3 interiors: main gate archway (entrance passage), museum gallery (art and military history), former dungeons / prison cells. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Approach from Place des CenturiesMain gate archway (entrance passage)Inner courtyard facing residential wingBase and battlements of the tall square towerMachicolated keep and upper corbelsMuseum gallery (Art and Military History)Former dungeons / prison cellsRooftop walkway along battlement parapet

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The artist rebuilds it as it stood in 1550, a photoreal reconstruction that belongs to you alone. Pay with coins, no subscription needed.

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Nearby

Landmarks within reach of Château de l'Empéri.

Arles Amphitheatre, FranceStadiumArles Amphitheatre38 km away

Questions about Château de l'Empéri

What is the history of Château de l'Empéri?

Château de l'Empéri was built in the 9th century as a fortified residence on the rock of Puech. It later served the archbishops of Arles and the Holy Roman emperors, came under the power of the kings of France in 1481, and was used as jails and barracks after the Revolution. Restorations followed damage from the 1909 earthquake.

What is inside Château de l'Empéri?

Inside Château de l'Empéri are museums covering military history, local history and art. The military museum presents uniforms, weapons, medals and representations of army corps from the Ancien Régime through the Napoleonic Wars and the First World War, including a copy of Napoleon I’s bed at Saint Helena. The castle also contains the Jardin des Simples.

Why was Château de l'Empéri built, and what was it used for?

Château de l'Empéri was built as a fortified residence and later served as a residence for the archbishops of Arles and the Holy Roman emperors. Its use changed over time: after the Revolution, it became jails and barracks, and it now houses museums of military history, local history and art.

Where is Château de l'Empéri?

Château de l'Empéri is in Salon-de-Provence, on the rock of Puech above the plain of the Crau. It stands in the Bouches-du-Rhône département, with the Place des Centuries in front of it leading towards the church of Saint-Michel.

When was Château de l'Empéri built?

Château de l'Empéri was built in the 9th century. The supplied material does not record a precise first-raised year, while the castle was altered and embellished in the 15th and 16th centuries. Its documented prime year is 1550, within the period of those later alterations.

What did Château de l'Empéri look like in its prime?

In its recorded appearance, Château de l'Empéri has warm beige limestone curtain walls, low red-tiled roofs and rectangular window openings. A tall, slender square tower and a larger squat keep dominate the silhouette, while the keep has corbelled machicolations beneath its battlements. The entrance is an arched gate with a short forework.

Is Château de l'Empéri still standing, or is it a ruin?

Château de l'Empéri is still standing and has been restored. It suffered little damage in the 1909 earthquake, and the buildings were restored by the Monuments Historiques during 1926. It has been listed as a monument historique since 1956 and now houses museums.

Can you visit Château de l'Empéri?

Château de l'Empéri can be visited as a museum. It houses the museum of Art and Military History, with collections including military uniforms, weapons, medals and representations of army corps. The castle also hosts cultural events, including summer chamber-music festivals and historical re-enactments in some years.

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