Located in the commune of Vire, Calvados department, France, the Donjon de Vire is the main vestige of an 11th-century castle. It perches on a rock at the end of a promontory overlooking the Vire river. The castle was subjected to multiple sieges and captured on several occasions during the Hundred Years' War.
It was finally taken by the French on 23 April 1450. In 1630, it was demolished by order of Cardinal Richelieu. The structure was classified as a monument historique on 10 February 1913. It is the property of the commune.
Today, the keep remains a symbol of medieval France, with its present remains being one of the facades and buttresses. The original structure was built in 1123 by Henry I of Beauclerc and once featured a storeroom on the ground floor and several floors for the commander, his family, and troops.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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