Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Barbery-Saint-Sulpice finds its origins on a feudal motte occupied from the Merovingian period, as evidenced by a necropolis discovered on the site. In the 16th century, the estate belonged to the Choiseul-Praslin, who built a strong house partially preserved there. These vestiges, visible on the facade overlooking the moat, reveal defensive elements characteristic of this period, before the site passes into the hands of Le Mairat, bourgeois anoblis de Troyes.

In 1626, Jean Le Mairat undertook a complete reconstruction in the Louis XIII style, replacing the old dilapidated strong house. The castle, which included a chapel dedicated to Notre-Dame from the 16th century, was sold as a national good during the Revolution to Mr. Petit-Buot, before becoming property of the Barons of Valsuzenay, prefects of the Aube. The transformations continued until the 18th century, with the completion of the courtyard façade and the roof.

The estate also includes commons, witnesses to an unfinished first reconstruction, as well as a mill certified in 1397, operated for the manufacture of paper by the Le Bé and Denise families in the 16th and 17th centuries. This mill, demolished in 1913 after being used for electrical production, illustrates the economic activity associated with the site. The castle, protected in 1930 and partially classified in 1980, now houses a French garden recreated in 1965, labeled Remarkable Garden.

The protection of the monument extends to facades, roofs and commons, registered between 1930 and 2001. Its history reflects the architectural and social changes of the region, from medieval lords to bourgeois families of the Old Regime, to revolutionary upheavals. The proximity of Troyes and the Seine also played a key role in its development, between residential, religious and economic functions.

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