LE CHATEAU DE BEAUREGARD

In the Middle Ages, towns were placed under the authority of a lord and fortified to protect the inhabitants. The fortified castle of Beauregard, named after the hill, was built in the 13th century by the Duke of Lorraine Ferry III. Overlooking the city, the building was intended to watch over the road to Alsace-Lorraine because the bishop of Metz coveted the city after having seized the castle of Pierre-Percée
To take care of the protection of Raon, the Duke of Lorraine appoints a vassal, a nobleman from the area in whom he has confidence. In the Middle Ages, this place was seen as a supreme distinction
The city walls connect the five towers of the castle through curtain walls, a kind of covered passageway. The walls are protected on one side by a moat and on the other side naturally by the Meurthe. Today, only the remains of the Bouquot Tower are visible on the rue de la Tour, behind the rue Charles Weill. It is this tower that appears on the paintings kept at the Hôtel de Ville. Three gates allowed to enter and leave the city in the direction of Baccarat, Saint-Dié and finally Rambervillers
During the battle of Nancy in 1477 between Charles the Bold and Duke René II of Lorraine, the castle was used as a military camp by the duke and was later abandoned
During the Thirty Years War (1618-1648), Richelieu ordered the destruction of all the Lorraine castles without exception. It was not uncommon for the inhabitants to salvage the abandoned stones to build new buildings. The last remains disappeared during the First World War. Today the castle is represented on the coat of arms of the city.
The scarcity of remains and archives does not allow us to reveal all the secrets of the Raonnais castle. There is almost nothing left of the fortress, except for a ditch 60 meters long and 8 meters wide as well as several wall bases still visible
A 6.3 km hiking trail (yellow ring) will lead you to the castle site (departure from the Salle Beauregard parking lot)

DATAtourisme France