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All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

  2. Patrimoine
  3. Grand-Est
  4. Moselle
  5. 57530 Ars-Laquenexy

  6. Castle of Mercy

Castle of Mercy à Ars-Laquenexy en Moselle

Moselle

Castle of Mercy

    1 Rue du Jardin d'Ecosse
    57530 Ars-Laquenexy
Château de Mercy
Château de Mercy
Château de Mercy
Château de Mercy
Crédit photo : Aimelaime - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1900
2000
1905-1908
Construction of the castle
1919
Return to France
1940-1944
German Military Hospital
1953-1967
Canadian Occupation
2019
Historical monument classification
2021
Purchase by a promoter
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

In total, the castle of Mercy and the chapel of the castle, located at the place called Le Clos Nord, according to the plan annexed to the order (cad. section 21 parcel 59, 60): inscription by order of 5 June 2019

Key figures

Maurice du Coëtlosquet - Initial Owner and Patriote Messin Commander of the castle, died before its construction.
Madame du Coëtlosquet - Commander of the castle The building was built between 1905 and 1908.
Henri Klein - Architect Designs the castle in eclectic Francophile style.
Eugène Vallin - Cabinetist and decorator Makes interior decorations (dining room, library).
Jean-Joseph Picoré - Landscape Designs the French garden.

Origin and history

The castle of Mercy, located near Metz en Moselle, was built between 1905 and 1908 by the widow of Maurice du Coëtlosquet, a Messina patriotic figure. This monument embodies a French cultural resistance against the German annexation of Alsace-Moselle (1871-1918). Its eclectic architecture, mixing neoclassicism, Art Nouveau and modern materials like reinforced concrete, deliberately contrasts with the Germanic style imposed by the imperial authorities. The interior decorations, signed by Eugène Vallin of the École de Nancy, and the Savonnières stone imported from the Barrois underline this will to assert identity.

The castle replaces a building burned in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian war. Designed by Alsatian architect Henri Klein, it incorporates a French-style garden designed by Jean-Joseph Picoré. Symbol of the local Francophonie, it is seen as a manifesto against the Germanization of Metz, where buildings such as the Governor's Palace or the Castle of Landonvillers (renovated in German neo-Gothic style) dominate the urban landscape.

From 1919 to 2000, the castle experienced various military uses: German Hospital (Lazarett) during the Second World War (1940-1944), then Royal Canadian Air Force Headquarters (1953-1967) within NATO. Repurchased by the French army in 1968, it successively houses the 16th mechanized brigade, the artillery command of the 1st Corps, and the 1st Army until 1993. Ranked a historic monument in 2019, it was sold in 2000 in Metz Métropole, then in 2021 to a private developer for a conversion to commercial housing and premises.

The chapel of the 17th century (1626), renovated by Maurice du Coëtlosquet in the 1890s, is the only vestige of previous occupations. The site, which has been occupied since the 10th century, illustrates almost a millennium of Lorraine's history, marked by Franco-German conflicts and territorial change. Its designation as historic monuments in 2019 recognizes its heritage value, both architectural, symbolic and memorial.

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum