France · 14th century
The Château de Tarascon (Provençal: Castèu de Tarascon) is a medieval castle in Tarascon in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of the south of France. The fortress stands on the banks of the Rhône opposite Château de Beaucaire, and near St Martha's Collegiate Church and ensured the security of the western border of Provence. Destroyed and rebuilt in the first half of the 15th century in a combination of Gothic and Renaissance styles, the fortress was a venue for events, meetings, and celebrations for King René before being converted into a military prison at the end of the 18th century. Today, the structure stands as one of the best preserved castles in the world and has been classified as a national historic site since 1840.
Text adapted from “Château de Tarascon” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Château de Tarascon ranks #1,682 of 9,079 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #133 of the 793 mapped in France. Founded 1400, it is older than 50% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 755 atlas entries founded in the 14th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 3,149 times in the last 60 days, more than 79% of the atlas. 7 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Marseille, 81 km away. See how France compares in the castle statistics.
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