40. GROUND PLAN OF
THE CHATEAU DE BONAGUIL
By T. E. Lawrence after Viollet-le-Duc, 1908
Although Lawrence visited Bonaguil in August 1909, he had done some research on the
fifteenth century castle in advance, and noted that there was a long description with plan
and bird's -eye view in M. Viollet-le-Duc’s Dictionnaire Raisonné de
l’Architecture Française du Xie au XVIe Siècle (vol. 2, Paris, 1859, pp.
165-7). When he saw the castle, therefore, he did not stop to make plans. He commented,
however, that it was 'most interesting: provision is made everywhere for canon: and at the
same time the old methods were not out of date. It is so perfect that it is almost
ridiculous to call it a ruin: all the vaults, stairways and some of the roofs are
perfect.'1
The plan exhibited is traced form Viollet-le-Duc, p.165.
The Curators of the Bodleian Library, Oxford (MS.Res.c.52)
1 T. E. Lawrence to his mother, 16.8.1988, HL p. 73.
Pen and ink, 20.3 x 12.7
Provenance: Given by A. W. Lawrence.
Literature: Crusader Castles II, ill. fp.54.
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