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Origin and history

The castle of Arguel is a medieval castle built from the 11th century by the lords of Arguel. Located on a rocky ridge in Fontain (Doubs), it overlooked the Doubs valley by more than 250 metres. For two centuries, the Arguel family, involved in local conflicts, exercised its power there, marking the region with abuses, such as those attributed to Jacques d'Arguel, associated with a Comtoise legend.

In 1336, after his defeat against the Allied Comton barons against Eudes IV of Burgundy, the castle was set on fire. The seigneury then passed to the Chalon by will (1306), and Louis de Chalon, prince of Orange, restored it between 1430 and 1450. The site was finally dismantled in 1668 by order of Louis XIV, after it was taken by Condé during the siege of Besançon. The current ruins (wall of enclosure, cellar entrances) date back to this long history.

In the 19th century (1827), there remained only a vaulted vault, remains of walls and traces of ditches. Today, the perimeter of the castle is classified as a site registered by the DREAL Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, including also the cave Saint-Georges. The ruins, though not spectacular, bear witness to its strategic role in the Comtoi and Burgundian conflicts.

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