🏛️ Lieu
Patrimoine & Culture
Le château des Ducs de Bar
📍 Bar-le-Duc, Meuse
· esplanade du Château, 55000 Bar-le-Duc
À propos
15th and 16th centuries
To protect his lands, Frédéric, Duke of Upper Lorraine, decided to build a fortified castle on a rocky spur overlooking the Ornain valley towards the end of the 10th century. This ideal site, surrounded by two ravines and extended by a plateau, was initially home to little more than a few dwellings and a chapel. Repeatedly altered, enlarged and reinforced, the castle was almost completely destroyed in the 17th century.
In the 13th century, preferring Bar-le-Duc to Mousson as their capital, the Counts of Bar undertook a number of works. The end of the spur was surrounded by a double wall to protect the dwellings, outbuildings, Saint-Maxe collegiate church and canonical buildings. A veritable small town, the stronghold had to be self-sufficient in the event of a siege. It housed a garrison, domestic staff, weapons workshops and its own food and water supplies.
In the 15th century, the severe architecture of the château was transformed into a richly furnished and decorated palace. René II (1473-1508) made a major contribution to its embellishment. The Grande Galerie, a monumental and solemn reception hall, was built on the northeast flank. The Baile, the castle?s first line of defense, became a pleasure garden, probably of Italian inspiration, as was fashionable at the time.
From the 17th century onwards, the Dukes of Bar and Lorraine abandoned Bar-le-Duc. The château, poorly maintained, fell into disrepair. In 1649, it was destroyed by fire. After several French occupations and to punish Duke Charles IV's anti-French policies, Louis XIV ordered its dismantling in 1670.
All that remains of the ducal château is the former Cour des Comptes, the duchy?s main administrative body. Near the "Belle Porte", René II commissioned the construction of a vaulted stone building to house the Trésor des Chartes. Duke Antoine (1508-1544) added a courtroom in 1523, which was completed under Charles III (1545-1608) with a dwelling comprising a central body and two wings.
To protect his lands, Frédéric, Duke of Upper Lorraine, decided to build a fortified castle on a rocky spur overlooking the Ornain valley towards the end of the 10th century. This ideal site, surrounded by two ravines and extended by a plateau, was initially home to little more than a few dwellings and a chapel. Repeatedly altered, enlarged and reinforced, the castle was almost completely destroyed in the 17th century.
In the 13th century, preferring Bar-le-Duc to Mousson as their capital, the Counts of Bar undertook a number of works. The end of the spur was surrounded by a double wall to protect the dwellings, outbuildings, Saint-Maxe collegiate church and canonical buildings. A veritable small town, the stronghold had to be self-sufficient in the event of a siege. It housed a garrison, domestic staff, weapons workshops and its own food and water supplies.
In the 15th century, the severe architecture of the château was transformed into a richly furnished and decorated palace. René II (1473-1508) made a major contribution to its embellishment. The Grande Galerie, a monumental and solemn reception hall, was built on the northeast flank. The Baile, the castle?s first line of defense, became a pleasure garden, probably of Italian inspiration, as was fashionable at the time.
From the 17th century onwards, the Dukes of Bar and Lorraine abandoned Bar-le-Duc. The château, poorly maintained, fell into disrepair. In 1649, it was destroyed by fire. After several French occupations and to punish Duke Charles IV's anti-French policies, Louis XIV ordered its dismantling in 1670.
All that remains of the ducal château is the former Cour des Comptes, the duchy?s main administrative body. Near the "Belle Porte", René II commissioned the construction of a vaulted stone building to house the Trésor des Chartes. Duke Antoine (1508-1544) added a courtroom in 1523, which was completed under Charles III (1545-1608) with a dwelling comprising a central body and two wings.
