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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Commarin, located in the eponymous village in the Gold Coast, finds its origins in the 14th century with a fortress surrounded by moat and flanked by round towers. Transformed in the 15th century by Jacques de Cortiambles, the chamberlain of Philippe le Hardi, it preserves two towers and a vaulted chapel of the Dogrives. Interior developments, such as the 16th century heraldic tapestries, reflect its evolution under the families of Cortiambles and Dinteville.

In the 17th century Charles I of Vienna undertook a major reconstruction: the east wing was rebuilt in 1622-1623, followed by a large stable and pavilions. The central body and west wing, damaged by the collapse of a tower, were rebuilt between 1702 and 1713 by the architect Philippe Paris. Fortifications were removed, and the gap between the house and the courtyard was closed in 1717 under Charles II of Vienna and his wife Anne de Chastellux.

The 18th century marked the decorative climax of the castle, with works led by Marie-Judith of Vienna and her husband Joseph-François of Damascus of Antigny. The entrepreneur Edme Nicolas Machureau embellished the interiors, while the stables were rebuilt in 1744. Spared by the Revolution, the castle remains in the offspring of successive families (Vienna, Damascus d'Antigny, Vogüé) without ever being sold, thus preserving its furniture and decorations from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 1949, the castle is distinguished by its symmetrical plan, its two medieval towers, and an English park of five hectares. Its heritage includes 16th century alchemical tapestries, ancient busts on the stairs, and heraldic symbols such as the Vienna Eagle, motto Everything in Vienna engraved on the pediment.

The iconography of the castle reveals a rich family symbol: ecus, unicorn in round-bosse, and high-relief horses and eagle adorn the facades. The cochère door, framed by Tuscan columns, has a triangular pediment interrupted by a curved edicle, surmounted by the Vienna emblem. These elements underline the aristocratic continuity of the place, inhabited without interruption since the Middle Ages.

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