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Origin and history

The castle of Hombourg-Budange, located in Moselle in the Canner valley, finds its origins in the Middle Ages with a castle-fortress of the thirteenth or fourteenth centuries, property of Varsberg (house of Raville). Remnants of this time, like courtesies and towers, remain. In the 16th century, the Créhange family undertook a major reconstruction: Guillaume de Créhange restored and strengthened the site from 1536 to 1551, but a fire in 1552 ravaged the site. His brother Wyrich rebuilt it in 1558, adding outbuildings and a new U-house body between 1560 and 1574, as evidenced by the dates engraved on the lintels and medallions.

In the 17th century, the castle changed hands: in 1655 it passed to Antoine Joachim de Lenoncourt, then to Antoine de Prissier, killed in front of its walls by imperial troops. His son-in-law, Jacques Gustave de Malortie, Marquis de Boudeville, erected in 1719 the northern wing in classic style, closing the court. The commons, partially transformed in the 17th and 18th centuries, reflect these architectural changes. The coat of arms of the Crehanges, Bris steels and Malortia still adorn the facades, recalling these successions.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 1928 for its facades and roofs, then in 1988 and 1994 for its interiors, the castle has an advanced state of degradation despite its heritage importance. An agreement signed in 2010 between the DRAC Lorraine, the region, the department and La Demeure historique aims to finance urgent work. The site preserves medieval elements (premises, towers), Renaissance (three wings) and classical (fourth wing), as well as a castral chapel below the village.

The current owners, the Counts of Mortemart, descendants of the Rochechouart, made changes in 1955, but the whole requires a thorough restoration. The dependencies, dating from the 17th to the 19th centuries, and the traces of successive transformations (such as the tower added in 1893 by Joseph Philippe Léopold of Hunolstein) illustrate his turbulent history, marked by conflicts, heritages and architectural adaptations.

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