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Origin and history

The castle of Saint-Benoist-sur-Vanne, located in the department of the Aube en Grand Est, is a property of 100 hectares whose main building has been renovated at several times. Surrounded by moat and equipped with a drawbridge, it combines defensive elements with refined architecture, such as the octagonal dovecote with bell towers. The estate, now completely renovated, preserves traces of its successive transformations, especially during the Henri IV and Louis XIII periods, with its corner pavilions, its high attic and its classic stone skylights.

The origins of the castle date back to at least the 14th century, when the family of Averly owned it. In the 16th century, Antoine Guerry des Essarts, having married Jeanne d'Averly in 1542, would have redesigned the building. In 1555, the estate was seized for lack of faith and tribute, before returning to Louise des Essarts, wife of Laurent de Saint Marcel. In 1594, the leaguers of Troyes burned down the seigneurial house, reducing it to ruins. Its restoration took place after 1638, when Louise de Cormont bought the estate and gave it its present appearance, characteristic of the homes of the Henri IV-Louis XIII era.

In the 17th century, the castle changed hands several times: bought in 1651 by Henri de Longueau, he remained in his progeny until Nicolas-René Peschard of Ambly, Baron of Levoncourt. In the 20th century, Lucie d'Ambly, the last heiress, married Charles Buxtorf, a Trojan industrialist. After World War II, Jean Bertrand, passionate about the history of the place, undertook a major restoration with the help of the Historical Monuments. Since then, his son Philippe Bertrand has continued this preservation work. The castle, registered with the Historical Monuments in 1984, protects its facades, roofs, doorwork, dovecote, moat and valves.

The site, located near the ancient Roman road linking Sens to Troyes, derives its name from the Abbey of Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire, which received the village as a gift in the 11th century. The first records of a local lord date back to the 13th century with Hughes de Montreuil. The castle, witness to six centuries of history, today embodies a preserved architectural and historical heritage, combining defensive power and classical elegance.

Currently owned by the Bertrand family, the castle has benefited from a comprehensive restoration aimed at regaining its splendour of the city. The estate, open to activities such as visiting or renting rooms, remains a remarkable example of the evolution of seigneurial residences in Champagne-Ardenne, between the Middle Ages and the modern era.

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