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Origin and history

The castle of Colombey, located in Coincy en Moselle, finds its origins in the 10th century, where it was then a set of huts surrounding a feudal castle flanked by turrets, a dovecote and a castral chapel. This medieval castle, symbol of seigneurial power, had a remarkable dungeon with armorial shields and murderers, reflecting its defensive role in an area marked by feudal conflicts. The presence of a metal pigeon on one of the turrets and an iron cross on another underlined its military and religious importance, with the castral chapel later becoming St.Nabor's church.

In the 17th century, the old feudal castle was still standing, preserving emblematic elements such as its dovecoier with four pillars, symbol of high justice, and its tower enclosure. These vestiges bore witness to its medieval past, while the region, integrated into the Duchy of Lorraine, underwent political and social transformation. The castle, located at the end of the village near the church, remained a central point of local life, combining defensive, judicial and agricultural functions, in a context where local lords played a key role in the territorial organization.

In the 18th century, Baron Theodore de Tschudi demolished the old feudal castle to build a large house of contemporary style, more comfortable and surrounded by a garden. This project marked a break with medieval architecture in favor of a more pleasant place of life, reflecting the tastes of the Lorraine aristocracy of the time. His son then transformed the surroundings into an English park, introducing exotic species (robinier, acacia, sophora) from Asia, Africa and America. This park became a place of horticultural experimentation, attracting the attention of local scientists and horticulturalists, and making the castle a hub of botanical innovation in the Metz region.

During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, the Château de Colombey was a strategic issue, taken and taken over during the clashes. It was burned on September 27, 1870, and burned entirely on order of Metz Square on October 27 of the same year, reducing the castle, park and nursery to ashes. The descriptions of the period, such as Charles Abel, president of the Metz Academy, depict a devastated landscape: blackened walls, centuries-old trees felled, and graves of German soldiers in place of the old rose massifs. The ruins, still visible in 1914, disappeared permanently during World War I, when the stones were removed and the walls demolished.

Today, only foundations, cellars covered with land, a deep well and an old stable remain from the castle, integrated into a farm located more west than the original location. The park, once a place for walks and botanical experiments, is more than a pasture for livestock. A cross recalls an epidemic of plague in the village, while the German monuments of the 1870 war (such as the Westphalia and the Allée des morts) border with the remains, testifying to the historical upheavals that marked this site.

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