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Origin and history

The castle of Saint-Marceau, located in the Ardennes on a hillside between the Meuse and the Vence, is originally a defensive building built in the 15th or 16th centuries by the family of La Glizeulle. It was transformed into a more comfortable residence in the following centuries, and its windows and interior were enlarged, particularly under the influence of Claude de Pouilly and his husband Antoine de Greffin, a Huguenot near Turenne, who died in 1686 and 1701 respectively. The estate, passed by alliances to the families of Pouilly and then of Wignacourt, suffered damage during the conflicts of 1870, 1914 and 1940, before being restored after a fire in 1967.

In the 18th century, Charles François de Paul of Herville modernized the castle by expanding the openings to make it more habitable. During the Revolution, he was imprisoned at the Chartreuse du Mont-Dieu before returning to die in Saint-Marceau. The estate changed hands several times: sold to the local mayor, then in 1834 to Pierre de Flavigny de Doncourt, it was acquired in 1839 by the Marquis de Wignacourt, whose children Adrien (born 1845) and Alof were born there. The property then belonged to Marie Louise de Wignacourt, who sold it in 1905 to the Renaudin family, still owner today.

Ranked a historic monument in 1990 for its facades, roofs and outbuildings (including a dovecote), the castle combines a rectangular house flanked by turrets with a French park. Its peak, rebuilt after the 1967 fire, is inspired by the skylights of Place Ducale de Charleville-Mézières. The stone walls, thicker than a metre, and grey coated bear witness to its defensive past, while the interior fittings reflect the architectural evolutions of the 17th and 18th centuries.

The site, occupied and looted during the Franco-German wars (1870, 1914, 1940), preserves traces of these tumultuous episodes. Paul Renaudin, a member of the family since 1905, wrote some of his works. Today, the castle remains a testimony of the transformation of a medieval fortress into an aristocratic residence, marked by local Protestant history (Antoine de Greffin) and the hazards of modern conflicts.

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