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Origin and history

The castle of Jaucourt, located in the Aube, was originally a medieval castle of the Counts of Champagne. Built in the plain, it served as a prison for Guiot de Bourgnay, known for his repeated escapes. Although it was never taken by force, it was considered a safe fortress, located on the border between Champagne and Burgundy.

In 1367 Jeanne de Jaucourt and his son Alexandre sold the land to Philippe le Hardi, Duke of Burgundy. The ducal family stayed there regularly, using the castle as a stage during their trips to Paris. Marguerite III of Flanders, wife of Philip the Hardi, helped to make it a pleasant place, with ditches transformed into a park housing cervids for decades.

The Barony of Jaucourt then passed to the Counts of Nevers, a younger branch of the Valois-Bourgogne, notably to Philippe de Bourgogne (1389-1415), then to his sons Charles and Jean. The latter passed it on to his daughter Charlotte, Countess of Rethel, wife of Jean d'Albret. The land then fell to their daughter Mary of Albret, married to Charles II of Clèves, Count of Nevers and d'Eu.

In the 16th century, François I de Nevers, the first Duke of Nevers, gathered family possessions, including Jaucourt, who was then passed on to his descendants, notably Jacques de Clèves and Marie de Clèves, Princess of Condé. In 1597 Catherine de Clèves sold Jaucourt to Gabrielle d'Estrées, integrating the land with the duchy of Beaufort. The castle was finally razed in 1632 by order of Louis XIII.

The current remains are limited to a chapel converted into a barn and part of the ditches. The Barony of Jaucourt also included the seigneuries of Arsonval, Argançon, Dolancourt, Jully-sur-Sarce and La Grève, and served as the capital of the Bourguignon bailliage of the Mountain, where the assizes were regularly held.

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