Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The château de la Verrerie, originally called the Queen's Crystal Factory, was founded in 1786 by a royal act transferring activity from Saint-Cloud to Creusot, in order to take advantage of local coal resources. Directed by Father Chapet and Benjamin Ladouèpe-Dufougerias in 1787, it became an imperial and royal Manufacture, specialized in transparent crystal, chandeliers and coloured glasses. The production ceased in 1792 during the Revolution, then resumed in 1806, it declined after 1811 before being sold in 1832 to Baccarat's crystal factory, which closed it permanently.

In 1837, the industrial brothers Adolphe and Eugene Schneider acquired the site as their family residence. Turned into a glasswork castle between 1903 and 1912 by architect Ernest Sanson, he welcomed heads of state and saw the addition of a fountain dedicated to Schneider children in 1913. Damaged during the Second World War (bombings of 1942), it was sold in 1969 to the town of Creusot, becoming a cultural pole with museums (Écomusée, Académie François Bourdon) and exhibition halls.

The architecture, designed in 1786 by Barthélemy Jeanson, combines a central U-shaped body with carved pediments and two symmetrical wings. The old ovens, transformed into Italian theatre (1905-1909) and chapel, illustrate the adaptation of the site to aristocratic and then public uses. The park, redesigned by Duchêne landscapers, and the theatre — dedicated to Marie-Antoinette — bear witness to this dual industrial and heritage history.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 1984, the castle retains protected elements: facades, roofs, theatre and chapel. Its circular theatre, with dome and lodges, as well as the Schneider Children's fountain (sculpted by Antonin Carlès), recall the legacy of royal and industrial families. Today it is a municipal property, combining workers' memory and architectural prestige.

Future

Sitting in 1971 of the Museum of Man and Industry, the Ecomuseum

External links