Château de Vignory

The Château de Vignory is a ruined castle in the commune of Vignory in the Haute-Marne. It was the residence of the lords of Vignory. It was built at the start of the 11th century, but no elements of this period exist today.

The first written record of a castle is from the years 1050-1052. It had originally been a castrum, held by the first lord of Vignory, Guy.

The monuments visible today are more recent: the keep (middle of the 12th century) was used by the lord to receive his subjects; the tour au Puits (Well Tower, middle of 15th century) served to defend the entry to the village from Chaumont; various ramparts and defensive towers on the Valnoise side; the large tour Canonnière (Artillery tower, end of 15th century).

The side facing the valley was completed by a Renaissance gateway emblazoned with coats of arms leading to the lower hall, probably at the time of Henri de Lenoncourt, for whom Vignory was made into a barony in 1555. Of the castle's defensive walls, only segments of the curtain wall remain and a large artillery tower dominating the village and the valley, the so-called tour du Puits (well tower), reduced in height in 1846. Two other towers of the defensive walls, demolished during the 19th century, had cannon emplacements, attesting to the importance of adapting the castle to artillery. The logis, to which one of these towers was attached, was still roofed in 1840, but has now completely disappeared. The tower collapsed in 1913.

References:

• Wikipedia

Address

Rue de la Côté 13, Vignory, France

Details

Founded: 12th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in France
Historical period: Birth of Capetian dynasty (France)