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Origin and history

The Château de Maillot is a 19th century building located in the town of Levier, in the Doubs department, in Franche-Comté. It was built on the plans of architect Parent in 1857 for the Marquis de Saint-Mauris, on the southern slope of a wooded site. This castle replaces earlier buildings, including a first castle mentioned in the tenth century, destroyed and rebuilt several times, notably in 1480 and 1773.

Before the present castle, a first medieval building was located on the hillside of Gros Maillot, controlling the road between Val-d'Usiers and the Chantrans plateau. Destroyed by the general of Amboise in 1480, it was rebuilt in 1516 for Jean de Scey, then ravaged by a fire in 1773. Its stones were reused in the 19th century to build houses in neighbouring villages. The estate, confiscated during the Revolution, was sold in 1811 to Louis Prost, a Strasbourgeois merchant.

In 1825, the estate passed into the hands of two forge masters, Vautherin and Vuillier, before being acquired in 1846 by the Marquis de Saint-Mauris. He had the present castle built between 1857 and 1860. In 1906, René de Moustier became owner and undertook the work of beautification between 1922 and 1932. The castle housed a private school and served as a town hall for the commune of Granges-Maillot until its connection to Levier in 1974.

During World War II, the woods of Maillot housed a maquis, with parachuting weapons and equipment. A memorial today recalls this episode. Transferred by alliance to the family of La Rochefoucauld in 1933, the castle remains a private property, witness to the political and social transformations of the region.

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