Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Volkrange came into being in the 13th century (1242–1248), when Arnoux II, lord of Volkrange, erected a first castle on a rectangular platform girdled with moat, still visible today. This strategic site, destroyed and then rebuilt, bears witness to the defensive stakes of the medieval period in Lorraine.

In the 16th century, the house was completely rebuilt, marking the period with its large work and vaults in cradle or dogives on the ground floor. Damaged during the Thirty Years War, it was restored from 1671 by Jean de Pouilly, who restored the castle to its residential and defensive function. The traces of this restoration, like the staircase in the south tower, still remain.

The 18th century brought a notable modernization: piercings opened the facades, and the interiors were redesigned for more comfort. In 1741, outbuildings ( stables, dovecote) were added to the west and north, completing the seigneurial ensemble. These buildings, covered with roofs in mechanical tiles, illustrate the changing agricultural and domestic needs of the period.

In the 19th century, the estate changed hands: acquired in 1840 by Barthélemy Bompard, he saw the construction of a new house in 1841 east of the courtyard, as well as the development of a neo-Roman chapel in the old home for the family. These transformations reflect the influence of romanticism and religious renewal of the century.

The 20th century marked a turning point in heritage: sold in 1952 to the Fathers of the Sacred Heart, the castle was finally bought by the city of Thionville in 1996. Since then, the old house has been entrusted to the Friends of the Old Castle association, while the outbuildings welcome a tourist centre, perpetuating its role in local life.

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