Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Morteau found its origins in a noble house of the 15th century, which had been radically redesigned at the end of the 16th century. In 1599 Nicolas de Haut, returning from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, began the construction of the present castle on these foundations. The building then adopted a remarkable plan with four bastion-shaped towers, typical of the defensive concerns of the era. The ground floor, entirely vaulted, houses a large lower room and a kitchen, while a oratory dedicated to the Virgin, decorated with murals from the 1640s, occupies one of the towers.

In the last third of the 18th century, the Count of Beaujeu radically modernized the castle to make it a recreational residence. An additional floor is added, as well as two side pavilions expanding the house. Interiors are redesigned with panelling, chimneys and floors preserved until today. An 18th-century dovecote, with a complete interior design (bulbs, rotating ladder), is also erected nearby. These transformations reflect the evolution of aristocratic tastes, moving from a medieval fortress to a home of comfort.

The castle is closely linked to local history: its owners, related to the canons of Saint-Jean-Baptiste, played a key role in the installation of the Jesuit college at Cirey-lès-Mareilles in 1617. Ranked a Historic Monument in 2010, the building preserves 16th century defensive elements (bastioned towers, vaults) as well as interior decorations of the 17th and 18th centuries, bearing witness to its multiple metamorphoses. Its dovecote, classified with the castle, illustrates the economic importance of seigneurial estates in modern times.

External links