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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Aunay-en-Bazois finds its origins in a medieval fortress, called "high-fort", built at the end of the 15th century. This first building was partially destroyed during the religious wars, while the older "bass-fort" disappeared entirely. In the 16th century, the structure was converted into a pleasure castle, and then profoundly redesigned in the 17th and 18th centuries. The work carried out in the early 17th century, notably by Jacques-Louis de Mesgrigny, son-in-law of Vauban, almost completely erased its original military aspect. The central body connecting the western towers was added for Charles de Mesgrigny, grandson of the famous engineer, while the communes, dated from the seventeenth century, were rearranged around 1780.

Aunay's fief belonged to the Pioche family for a long time, before moving to the Mesgrigny d'Aunay in 1679, when Charlotte Le Prestre, Vauban's eldest daughter, married Jacques-Louis de Mesgrigny. Their descendants, Le Peletier d'Aunay, retained the estate until 1963. The castle, protected as historical monuments since 1988, retains defensive elements such as the grooves of the drawbridge or ditches, as well as remarkable interior decorations (woodwork, panelling, tapestries). The vaulted kitchen and a medieval window remain as evidence of the original construction.

The large courtyard, framed by 17th century communes serving orangery, hosts an annual bicentennial orangery presentation. Inside, the inner courtyard opens with two gates surmounted by broken pediments, leading to a loggia on trunk. The architecture thus combines medieval heritage and classicism, with facades pierced with small tiles and dardian roofs. Although the castle is not visited, its history remains linked to major figures such as Vauban, whose family deeply marked the place.

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