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Origin and history

The castle of Montfaucon, built in the 11th century, was initially a wooden fortress erected by Conon de Montfaucon, vassal of Count Renaud I of Burgundy and Archbishop Hugues I of Salins. This strategic site, located on a rocky spur, became a symbol of local feudal power. At the end of the 13th century, Amédée III de Montfaucon had the stone castle rebuilt, consolidating its influence in the region.

The Montfaucon family, one of the most powerful in the county of Burgundy and Montbéliard, handed over the castle to Chalon-Arlay-Prince d'Orange in the 15th century. Despite the conflicts, such as the War of Ten Years (1634-1644) waged by Richelieu, the castle survived until its final abandonment after that period. In 1976 it was listed as a historical monument, and in 1984 the commune of Montfaucon began its restoration as a tourist site.

The castle, organized around three successive enclosures, included a village with a church (1311), a lower courtyard with chapel and cellars, and a castral hill protected by a hexagonal dungeon and a square tower. Its architecture reflects its defensive and seigneurial role, typical of the medieval fortresses of Franche-Comté. The ruins, today communal property, bear witness to its historical and strategic importance.

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