Built in the 14th century on the ruins of a hunting lodge, the Château de Vincennes remains the largest fortified castle in France. Completed under Charles V, its keep rises to a height of 52 meters and its one-kilometer-long enclosure, flanked by nine towers, was completed by the Sainte-Chapelle, founded in 1379.
The keep's fixed bridge connects the middle courtyard to the defensive structure of the gatehouse. Backfilled over more than a century between 1850 and 1950, it had been in critical disrepair until recently, with faulty waterproofing, regular flooding of the deck, shored-up walkways, and partial collapse of the glacis. Completed in 2023, the project led by the agency aimed to stabilize the structure, clean up the site, and enhance this iconic access point. The work focused on rainwater collection and drainage, complete repair of the waterproofing and decking, restoration of the bridge's hard limestone facings and barbican facades, and reconstruction of the two walkways, carriage and pedestrian, adapted to contemporary usage constraints while evoking the ancient medieval drawbridges. The modern rubble stone glacis of the keep's outer wall have also been restored.
