Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Commercy Castle occupies the site of a 13th century castle, partially rebuilt in the 15th century for Robert II de Commercy. At the beginning of the seventeenth century, the Cardinal of Retz transformed him into a residence, preserving the medieval foundations. This site became a symbol of power when Charles-Henri of Lorraine-Vaudémont, the natural son of Duke Charles IV, made it his sovereign principality in 1708.

The architect Nicolas d'Orbay then erected a Baroque castle on the medieval remains, under the influence of Germain Boffrand. When Charles-Henri died in 1723, the castle passed to his cousin, Duke Léopold I of Lorraine, and then to his son François III. In 1737 the principality came to the Duchess of Customs Elizabeth-Charlotte d'Orléans, who made it his residence until 1744.

Stanislas Leszczynski, dethroned king of Poland and Duke of Lorraine, became its owner in 1744. He received figures from Enlightenment such as Voltaire, Émilie du Châtelet and Jean-François de Saint-Lambert. According to legend, the Madeleine de Commercy was born there in 1755, thanks to the servant Madeleine Paulmier. After the death of Stanislas in 1766, the castle was abandoned on the orders of Louis XV, then transformed into a cavalry quarter.

In the 19th century, the castle is isolated from its gardens by the canal of the Marne on the Rhine and the Paris-Strasbourg line. Fired in 1944 during World War II, it was bought by the commune in 1957. The restorations, completed in 1977, now provide accommodation for the town hall and the municipal library. The communes and parts of the castle have been classified as historical monuments since 1960 and 1972.

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