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Origin and history

The Château de Clairefontaine, located in Polaincourt-et-Clairefontaine in Haute-Saône, is a former Cistercian monastic building founded in 1131 by Guy de Jonvelle as Notre-Dame de Clairefontaine Abbey. The abbey, daughter of Morimond, suffered repeated destruction (wars, plague of 1349, troops of Tremblecourt in 1595, Swedes in 1636) before being completely rebuilt from 1711. The work of the 17th and 18th centuries included the renovation of the choir, dormitories, cloister, and church, with tile covers and sandstone structures.

Sold as a National Property in 1793 to Jean-François Estienne, the abbey was first converted into glassware (1798-1803), then into prosperous earthwork from 1804 to 1932. The factory, run successively by the Estienne, Rigal, Sanejouand and Graves families, specialized in opaque porcelain and enamels, employing up to 86 workers in 1893. She was rewarded at the 1878 Universal Exhibition for her majolica creations and innovative table services.

After the closure of the factory in 1932, the site was acquired in 1938 by the Hospitals of Seine-et-Marne and transformed into a psychiatric hospital, a function which it now retains under the management of the Hospital Association of Franche-Comté. The facades, roofs, and some interiors (vestibulum, North Gallery) were inscribed in the Historic Monuments in 1971, thus preserving a heritage that blended religious, industrial and medical heritage.

The current architecture reflects this complex history: the central body, the former religious district, now houses offices and workshops, while the commons, stables and attic of the eighteenth century, built of sandstone stone, bear witness to the original monastic organization. Industrial remains (ovens, steam engines) have mostly disappeared, partially erasing the traces of the earthworks that made the site famous.

Among the remarkable elements are the 18th century gate built into the west wing, the terraced gardens in the east, and the Ruby mill, which is used for grinding the materials of the earthenware. The site, although partially modified, remains a rare example of the conversion of an abbey into an industrial and then hospital complex, illustrating the economic and social changes in the region since the Middle Ages.

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