<p>The <strong>Donjon de Niort</strong> or <strong>Ch&acirc;teau de Niort</strong> (the former is most often used today) is a <a title="Medieval" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval" target="_blank">medieval</a> <a title="Castle" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle" target="_blank">castle</a> in the French town of <a title="Niort" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niort" target="_blank">Niort</a> in the <em>d&eacute;partement</em> of <a title="Deux-S&egrave;vres" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deux-S%C3%A8vres" target="_blank">Deux-S&egrave;vres</a>. It consists of two square towers, linked by a 15th century building and dominates the <a title="S&egrave;vre Niortaise" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A8vre_Niortaise" target="_blank">S&egrave;vre Niortaise</a> valley.</p>
<p>The two <a title="Donjon" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donjon" target="_blank">donjons</a> are the only remaining part of the castle. The castle was started by <a title="Henry II of England" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_II_of_England" target="_blank">Henry II</a> <a title="Plantagenet" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantagenet">Plantagenet</a> and completed by <a title="Richard the Lionheart" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_the_Lionheart" target="_blank">Richard the Lionheart</a>. It was defended by a rectangular curtain wall and was damaged during the <a title="French Wars of Religion" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Wars_of_Religion" target="_blank">Wars of Religion</a>. From the 18th century, the castle served as a prison.</p>
<p>source : <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donjon_de_Niort" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donjon_de_Niort</a></p>
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