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Origin and history

Coucy Castle, located in the Aisne in Coucy-le-Château-Auffrique, is a former castle and seigneurial residence built mainly in the 13th century, although its origins date back to the 10th century with a castral motte. It was the seat of Coucy's powerful house until the death of Enguerrand VII in 1397. Its cylindrical dungeon, 54 meters high and 31 meters wide, was considered the most imposing in the West before its destruction in 1917 by the German army, without any military justification. The site, classified as a historic monument since 1862, was among the most visited in France at the beginning of the twentieth century.

The fortress was built by Enguerrand III of Coucy (1182–1242) between 1225 and 1240, with an architecture designed to impress: three successive enclosures, four massive corner towers, and a dungeon described by Viollet-le-Duc as "a giant" surpassing all known towers. Enguerrand III, ambitious, spent a fortune there to compete with the kings of France. His successor, Enguerrand VII, transformed the fortress into a Gothic palace around 1380, adding sumptuous rooms such as the Hall of Preux (laden with statues of legendary warriors) and the Hall of Preuses. The château then passed to Louis d'Orléans in 1400, where it had ducal kitchens built in the 15th century.

The decline began in 1652 when Mazarin ordered its dismantling during the Fronde. An earthquake in 1692 split the dungeon, already weakened. During the Revolution, the castle, sold as a national good, served as a quarry. Despite restorations in the 19th century by Viollet-le-Duc, which consolidated the ruins with a metal frame, the site suffered a fatal blow in 1917: the German army, in retreat, blew it up with 28 tons of explosives, also destroying the fortified city and its historic gates like the Laon gate. Recent excavations (2018–2020) revealed the kitchens of Louis d'Orléans and the foundations of a chapel.

Today, the remains of Coucy Castle, open to the public, include the ruins of the dungeon, seigneurial houses, the castral chapel, and partially restored ramparts. The site is animated by medieval reconstructions, volunteer projects (stone size, forge), and sound and light shows. The flags and costumes of the period, as well as the promenade along the ramparts, allow visitors to imagine the old grandeur of this 14 hectare stronghold, once dominated by its "colossal" dungeon.

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