Château du Pailly

Le Pailly, France

Château du Pailly was built on the site of an older building dating back to the 13th century. That castle had a strategic position in the south of the Champagne region, close to Burgundy. It was ceded by the bishop of Langres to the Saulx family around 1530 and became a rare and emblematic example of the Renaissance in Champagne.

​Gaspard de Saulx-Tavannes inherited the Château du Pailly from his father. In 1563, grieving the death of his eldest son, he turned the medieval fortress into a jewel of the Renaissance architecture, as he had been amazed by Italian palaces in his youth.

The Château du Pailly remained in the Saulx-Tavannes family until 1764. Several owners succeeded one another until Jean-François Moreau du Breuil bought it in 1821 and started to restore it. Today it is open to the public.

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Founded: 16th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in France

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