CHÂTEAU DE VILLE-AU-VAL

The land of Ville-au-Val, like the whole of the left bank of the Natagne, was under the jurisdiction of the Barrois, and more specifically of Mousson. The other bank depended on Dieulouard, owned by the bishops of Verdun, giving Ville-au-Val a highly strategic position.

Château de Ville-au-Val has belonged to the same family since 1809, when François Antoine Louis Bourcier, Major General, Conseiller d'Etat, Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor and Inspector General of the Cavalry of the Grande Armée acquired the château by selling land received from Emperor Napoleon.

In August 1944, it was at the château de Ville-au-Val, in the presence of General Marshall, that General Patton decided on the attack that would lead his troops to Berchtesgaden and the German surrender.

Today's château retains very few of its original medieval features, having undergone major alterations in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, including the current openings with their moulded frames. The château's hidden treasure is the exceptional private chapel, which houses a painting by Jean Girardet, Stanislas' first painter.

The entire château, facades and roofs have been listed as Historic Monuments since 1988. The chapel has been listed as a Monument Historique since 1995.

DATAtourisme France