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Origin and history

The castle of Fressin was built in the middle of the 15th century by Jean V de Créquy, advisor and chamberlain of Philippe le Bon, Duke of Burgundy. The latter had made him one of the first knights of the Order of the Golden Fleece. The castle, conceived as a fortress adapted to artillery, reflected the military techniques of the period, with eight cylindrical towers connected by courtesins. It was passed on to the Créquy family until the Revolution, despite the recurrent tensions between France, Burgundy and Spain for the control of the region.

In 1639, after Hesdin was taken by the French, Captain Balthazar de Fargues, acting governor, ordered the destruction of the castle of Fressin — as well as other local fortresses — to prevent them from falling into the Spanish hands. The ruins remained in the descendants of the Créquy, then passed to the Blanchefort-Créquy and the Tower of Auvergne by marriage alliances. Sold as a national property during the Revolution, the site was bought in 1811 by the Marquise de Durfort Civrac, before being ceded in 1852 to the banker Baron Seillère.

In the 20th century, Senator Jules Elby acquired the ruins in 1907 and conducted archaeological excavations there between 1923 and 1924. Today, the castle is partially open to the public, with an exhibition room on medieval life and accessible underground. The remains, classified as historical monuments in 1996, illustrate the turbulent history of Nord-Pas-de-Calais, between territorial conflicts and seigneurial heritage.

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