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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The castle of Saint-Rémy-en-Comté, built in the second half of the eighteenth century, replaces an ancient medieval castle destroyed by the wars of the Middle Ages, including the Hundred Years War. It is erected by Countess Jeanne-Octavie de Vaudrey, heiress of a noble line, on a promontory overlooking the plain, with materials from the ruins of the medieval castle. The estate includes a park and French gardens, reflecting the aristocratic fascist of the time.

In 1794, General Victor de Broglie, son-in-law of Rosen's family, was arrested in this castle before being guillotined during the French Revolution. Abandoned after the death of his widow, in 1823 the castle became an educational institution run by the Marianist Brothers, which founded schools and a school farm. Expelled in 1903, they left the castle to abandon until its requisition as a military hospital during the First World War.

Saved from the destruction in 1928 by a Swiss peasant, Alfred Aeby, the castle was bought in 1937 by Justin Perchot to install a psychiatric hospital, a function he still retains today. Ranked historic monument in 1931 and 1961 for its architectural elements (facades, wrought iron stairs, park), it also houses the headquarters of the Association Hospitalier de Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. Its history thus combines aristocratic heritage, religious education and medical vocation.

The old castle, mentioned from the twelfth century, belonged to the lords of Faucogney, vassals of the County of Burgundy. Destroyed and rebuilt several times, it was finally dismantled in the 18th century to give way to the present castle. The seigneury, passed into the hands of the families of Ville, Luz, and Salives-Villersvaudey, was inherited by the Vaudreys in the 17th century. Countess Jeanne-Octavie de Vaudrey, wife of Anne-Armand de Rosen, Marquise de Rosen, made it a symbol of their power, with a rich library and a luxurious living environment.

The current castle, in classic style, is designed by engineer Jean-Baptiste Thierry and entrepreneurs Hugues Faivre and Étienne Oudry. Its U-shaped plan, surrounded by courtyards and a park with basins, illustrates the aristocratic architecture of the Enlightenment. Subsequent transformations, especially for hospital use, have changed its interior, but its facades and central vestibule remain protected. The site, dominating the plain for tens of kilometres, offers an exceptional panorama, reinforced by a gazebo set up at the site of the old castle.

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