Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

Château de la Cordelière is 3 km from Chaource, in the Great East. It consists of two distinct parts: the Petite Cordelière, built in 1780 by Nicolas Parent, a lawyer in parliament, and the Grande Cordelière, built in the late 19th century by the Chandon de Briailles family. This castle thus illustrates two different architectural and historical epochs, linked to influential families in the region.

The Petite Cordelière was erected on the grounds of the red house and the sale of the Cordeliers. Nicolas Parent, his initiator, was guillotined in 1794 during the Terror. The property then passed to the Micheau de Chassy family, then to the Chandon de Briailles, who began the construction of the Grande Cordelière. This first building, though modest, marks the beginning of a line of owners linked to the aristocracy and the local bourgeoisie.

The Gothic-style Grande Cordelière was built between 1892 and 1900 by Viscount Frédéric Chandon de Briailles, grandson of the founder of a famous champagne house in Épernay. Inaugurated in 1900, it became a symbol of the aristocratic fascist of the time. His son, François Chandon de Briailles, mayor of Chaource and general councillor, added a neo-Gothic chapel in 1933 to house the family vault.

After Francis' death in 1957, the castle and its outbuildings were sold. Art objects, furniture, and libraries (including 2,000 books) were auctioned over five days. The land, including 2000 hectares of wood and ponds, was acquired by Belgian or local companies, such as the Troyes golf course, which had been the owner of the castle since 1958. Today, the site is integrated into a golf course, marking a transition between historical heritage and contemporary use.

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