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Origin and history

The Château d'Auflance, located in the Ardennes department in the Grand Est region, dates from the first half of the seventeenth century. It was built by the Custine family, who settled there before the estate became a national property after the French Revolution. Today, only emblematic remains remain: a Renaissance portal decorated with coat of arms and surmounted by a pieto, ruins of towers, as well as traces of moat. These elements illustrate the military architecture of the Louis XIII era, with a robust composition and neat sculptural details, such as vermiculate or guilloche stones.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the castle still retained a pavilion with imposing heights, but its condition deteriorated over time. In 1798 Theodore de Custine de Wiltz, the last noble owner, died in emigration to Bamberg (Germany), causing the estate to be sold to farmers after its confiscation as a national property. The site was finally listed as historical monuments in 1991, protecting the remaining remains, including all the ruins and the grip on the ground of the old castle, including moat.

Historical sources, such as the works of Stéphane Gaber or Jean-Marie Schmittel, underline the local importance of this monument, linked to the aristocratic history of the Ardennes. The journal Histoire d'Auflance (1979) and the archives of the Mérimée base complete the knowledge on this site, which is now accessible in a valley of the commune. His portal, in particular, remains a remarkable example of the architectural art of his time, mixing heraldic symbols and religiosity.

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