Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Larrey, located in the Côte-d'Or department in Burgundy-Franche-Comté, finds its origins in the 13th century with the construction of a first fortress in 1227 by Eudes, lord of Grancey. This castle, perceived as a threat by the Duke of Burgundy, the Bishop of Langres and the Count of Nevers, remained in the hands of the Grancey family until the end of the 15th century. At that time, he moved to Marie de Grancey and her husband Claude de Toulongeon-Traves, who undertook his partial reconstruction after the damage caused by the armies of Louis XI. The estate then changed owners, notably the Clermont d'Anjou-Gallerande and the Gramont, before being acquired in 1650 by Pierre Lenet, then in 1780 by the prince of Condé, who donated it to the hospital of Chantilly.

The medieval style castle is organized around a large courtyard open to the south by a terrace overlooking the village. Its architecture includes a main building in the east, flanked by two entrance towers, a stair turret, and a second building in the west with a vaulted hall. These elements, as well as the balustrade of the terrace, have been listed as historical monuments since 1972. After the Revolution, the estate was fragmented, and in the 19th century, some of the buildings were converted into agricultural outbuildings (stables, barns). A terrier of the Marquisate, erected in 1749 by Germain Verniquet and his son Edme, bears witness to his seigneurial importance.

The castle illustrates the successive transformations of a medieval fortress into a seigneurial residence, marked by conflicts (wars of Louis XI), family alliances (Grancey, Toulongeon, Condé) and economic adaptations. Its decline in the 19th century reflects post-revolutionary upheavals, while its protection in the 20th century underscores its heritage value.

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