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Origin and history

The castle of Brugny, located in the Marne, finds its origins in the 13th century with the mention of the seigneury in 1223, when Gui III de Châtillon, married to Agnès de Donzy, paid tribute to the Count of Champagne. The square tower, a vestige of this time, bears witness to this medieval period. The fief, belonging to the seigneury of Epernay, became a strategic issue during the Hundred Years' War, where it was the scene of confrontations between English and French. Henri IV reportedly stayed there after the siege of Epernay.

Unlike many estates, Brugny has never been sold since its inception. Its owners are succeeded by inheritance or alliance, passing from the houses of Châtillon, Burgundy, and Bourbon to the families of Naast, Saint-Mars, and Saint-Blaise. In the 17th century, the Viscount of Brugny was owned by Claude de La Croix, then passed on to the families of Hautoy, Mazières, and Estourmel. The Marquise Victoire-Césarine d'Estourmel married Charles-Louis de Clermont-Tonnerre in 1781, marking the entrance of the Clermont-Tonnerre family into the history of the castle.

The medieval castle, initially quadrangular with four round towers and a dungeon, was partially destroyed during the Hundred Years War. Today, there are only two wings of the original building, surrounded by moat. The 13th century square tower, facades, roofs, and moat have been protected as historical monuments since 1990. The site thus retains architectural traces of its transformations between the 16th and 18th centuries.

Historical sources, such as the works of Armand Bourgeois (1883) and A. Kaufmann (1852), document its evolution since the 15th century. The castle remains a rare example of uninterrupted transmission within the French aristocracy, reflecting the alliances and legacies that shaped its history.

In the 19th century, the Eudes d'Eudeville family became the owner, with Henri Eudes d'Eudeville (1870-1967) and his descendants. The castle, still private, today embodies a preserved architectural and historical heritage, linked to the history of Champagne and the great names of the French nobility.

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