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Origin and history

The castle of Pernant, often mistakenly called "Dongeon de Pernant", is a small medieval fort located in the Soissonnais, in the department of Aisne. Built probably at the beginning of the fourteenth century, it was initially a simple chestnut surrounded by walls and towers, then evolving into a strong house over the centuries. This monument is one of the few remains of 14th century military architecture still standing in the area, with the dungeons of Ambleny and Armentières-sur-Ourcq.

In the 16th century, the castle lost its military attributes to become a pleasant residence. The fortified door is filled with cellars and a vaulted room with a monumental fireplace, while a Renaissance house is attached to the northwest. The ditches are partially filled, and a terrace replaces the old fortifications south side. These changes reflect the adaptation of the building to the residential and agricultural needs of the time.

The castle played a strategic role during the First World War, serving as a refuge for troops through its underground quarries. In July 1918, he was severely damaged during the Battle of Soissons, subjected to intensive bombardment followed by a gas attack. After the war, the owners, rather than restoring it, built a new mansion on the garden site in 1920. Abandoned for almost a century, the castle is finally classified as a historical monument in 2007 and is the subject of restoration campaigns from 2012.

The origins of the castle date back to 1322, when Guillaume de Bouclenay, Viscount of Acy and Pernant, established a treaty with the Abbey of Saint-Crépin-le-Grand to clarify the rights to the quarries and surrounding lands. The site, initially isolated by ditches and overlooking the valley, was strategically positioned to control access. Over the centuries, he passed into the hands of several noble families, including The Person, the Leuven, and the Gonnelieu, who made major architectural changes.

In the 18th century, the castle became a farm, with minor but numerous changes that weakened its structure. The ditches are filled, the towers pierced to create new pieces, and agricultural outbuildings are added. In the 19th century, emphasis was placed on agricultural activity, with the construction of barns and the gradual abandonment of noble residential functions. In 1914, the castle, still intact, was requisitioned by the French and German armies before being ruined by the fighting.

The preservation of the castle was initiated in the 1990s by a local association, supported by the Soissons Archaeological Society. Filed in 2007, it has two restoration phases in 2012 and 2013, led by a private owner with the help of DRAC. Today, the castle, though partly in ruins, bears witness to nearly seven centuries of history, mixing medieval military architecture, Renaissance transformations and memory of modern conflicts.

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