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Origin and history

The castle of La Ferté-Milon, located in the Aisne region of Hauts-de-France, was commissioned in 1393 by Louis d'Orléans, brother of Charles VI, who wanted to make it a fortress as powerful as Pierrefonds. The project, entrusted to the architect Jean Aubelet (also responsible for the works of Pierrefonds), was abruptly interrupted in 1407 by the duke's assassination. Only the monumental 102-metre-long façade, flanked by four almond towers, was completed, illustrating an innovative defensive style with mâchicoulis and assommoir.

The present remains reveal a construction site frozen in time: the facade, decorated with a relief representing the Coronation of the Virgin, dominates a ditch and incorporates elements of the 13th century urban enclosure. The towers, with vaulted cellars and screw staircases, show an ambitious design, but the castle was never finished. After the death of Louis d'Orléans, his heirs abandoned the project, and the site became a strategic issue during the Hundred Years' War (taken by the English in 1412, resumed in 1429).

In the 16th century, the castle was dismantled by order of Henry IV in 1594, after having served as a strong place for the Leagues during the Wars of Religion. The Russian guns displayed on the site (dated 1909) recall its subsequent use as a military position. Ranked in 1862, the monument still inspires today, as evidenced by Maurice Utrillo's paintings. Its hybrid architecture, between medieval fortress and "theatrical" facade, makes it a unique example of transition between the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

The primitive site, mentioned in the 9th century, was successively owned by the kings of France (Blanche de Castille lived there in the 13th century) and the Dukes of Valois. Charles de Valois, the son of Philippe le Hardi, strengthened the fortifications there before Louis d'Orléans undertook his radical reconstruction. The present castle, though ruined, preserves traces of its ogival cellars and defensive system, reflecting the political and military ambitions of its sponsors.

The archives of the Second Empire, preserved in the National Archives, document the restorations of the ruins. Today, the castle is partially visited, offering a panorama of the Ourcq valley. Its sculpted relief and braided towers, similar to those of Coucy, underline the influence of Jean Aubelet, a pupil of Raymond du Temple, and his role in the evolution of French castral architecture.

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