EnclosduRoi

EnclosduRoi, literally the King's enclosure in French, is a historical designation used to describe the walled or fenced precinct surrounding a royal residence during the medieval and early modern periods in France. The term designates a private or semi-private space that separated the royal dwelling from surrounding urban areas, and that could include courtyards, gardens, chapels, and administrative buildings. Enclosures were part of the security and ceremonial organization of the royal court, with controlled access through gates and sometimes drawbridges and guard posts.

Architectural layouts varied, but enclos typically formed a coherent precinct within a larger palace or manor complex, sometimes extending to walled courtyards or fortified enclosures that responded to both defensive needs and the ritual display of sovereignty. Surviving documentation often describes boundary lines, gatehouses, and lists of maintenance for features such as trees, fountains, and stables within the enclosure.

Many EnclosduRoi were altered or dismantled as capital cities grew, while others survive in remnants or as modern district names; in some places the term persists in maps and archival references rather than in extant structures. Because it denotes a class of spaces rather than a single site, the exact features of an EnclosduRoi vary by location and era.