Château d'Arcis-sur-Aube

The castle of Arcis sur Aube now houses the town hall of this charming little town in the Aube region. As a result, the interiors cannot be visited, however the exterior of the building from the beginning of the 18th century has many surprises in store for you. A white stone tower covered with slates, an imposing wrought iron gate, the magnificent facade of the castle or the marks of the battle of 1814 between the troops of the Napoleonic army and the army of Bohemia, in the rear facade through various impacts and a ten-hectare park designed by Le Nôtre, the treasures of the castle of Arcis sur Aube will reveal all their secrets to you. ~~~ The medieval fortress, located on the slight promontory where the current castle stands, commanded the passage of the Aube. According to an archive document from 1667, it had a keep and fortified house, beautiful and sumptuous buildings enclosed by walls, large pits around it... Burned down in the 16th century, during the Wars of Religion, the remains of the two uncrowned towers remain. that frame the entrance gate. Pierre Grassin, who around 1717 bought the land of Arcis, held the position of director of the Monnaies de France. Four years later, it is said, he built the current castle, which now houses the town hall. Raised on the side of a large park, larger than that of today, this light stone residence, double in depth, offers facades limited to a ground floor, but has a floor arranged under a large mansart-style fill. Its elegance is due to its proportions and the presence of the carved masks that adorn the keys of the three windows of the large living room, on the side of the river. The new owner of Arcis had a good fortune, which did not prevent him from being enterprising and full of zeal for the public good. When two fires had destroyed three-quarters of the houses in the city, he had supplies distributed without delay, obtained substantial financial aid from the king, and contributed from his own funds to the reconstructions. He also obtained permission to set up a stocking factory, had the construction of a navigable canal studied, and worked to rationalize forestry and agricultural techniques on his estates. The Marquis de Labriffe, his successors, endeavored to develop agriculture on their estate, but lived little in Arcis, with the exception of Pierre-Arnaud de Labriffe, Napoleon's chamberlain, who spent nine months of the year there. , grateful to his fellow citizens for having spared him the revolutionary confiscations. The name of Arcis belongs to the history of the Revolution and the Empire. It was here that in 1759 Danton was born, a leading figure in the Assembly and the Convention, who often returned to his city, the last time in November 1793, a few months before his execution. It is also there that, on March 20, 1814, during the Campaign of France, Napoleon established his headquarters. He had to withdraw the next day, facing the 90,000 Austrians of Schwarzenberg. The stone of the facades of the castle preserves the trace of this commitment. photo credit: ©studio OG

DATAtourisme France