Fort Saint-Georges
The reception building built in 2010 was established on the Fort Saint-Georges. This part of the site, which was the subject of archaeological excavations between 2003 and 2010, revealed a previously unknown Plantagenet palace dated to around 1160.
This discovery is essential for the history of the Fortress, because very few palaces of this period are known. The palace of Henry II Plantagenet in Chinon consisted of a very large building parallel to the Vienne river which housed, on the 1st floor, the great hall for the public audiences of the king of England. The private/ancillary functions were housed in perpendicular wings. A chapel completed this complex which was built around several interior courtyards and which was protected by an enclosure still visible today.
