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Château des Forges in Pesmes en Haute-Saône

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine défensif
Demeure seigneuriale
Château de style Classique
Haute-Saône

Château des Forges in Pesmes

    Forges de Pesmes
    70140 Pesmes
Château des Forges à Pesmes
Château des Forges à Pesmes
Château des Forges à Pesmes
Château des Forges à Pesmes
Château des Forges à Pesmes
Château des Forges à Pesmes
Château des Forges à Pesmes
Château des Forges à Pesmes
Crédit photo : P. Charpiat - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1700
1800
1900
2000
1660
Forges Foundation
1788-1789
Construction of the castle
1795
Sale as a national good
1824-1830
Architectural transformations
1875
Closing of forges
1993
Historical Monument
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

Facades and roofs of the housing body; facades and roofs of sheds, stables and shops on both sides of the courtyard; facades and roofs of the orangery; walls and fences; ceiling including the cornice of the dining room; wooden floors with old compartments (XIXth century) of the west wing of the house body (see AE 2-8, 10-15): inscription by order of 5 April 1993

Key figures

Philippe IV d'Espagne - King of Spain Authorized the creation of forges (1660).
Joseph Rossigneux et Jean-Baptiste Rossigneux - Masters of forges Forges farmers (1768-Revolution).
Catherine Rochet - Widow Dornier Company management and finance.
Auguste Chrétien - Industrial Released tool production (1893).
René Amstutz - Industrial contractor Modernisa factory (1930-1973).

Origin and history

The castle of the Forges in Pesmes, built between 1788 and 1789, was the residence of the master of forges, symbol of local metallurgical activity. The house consists of a central body with triangular pediment, flanked by two low wings, preceded by a perron. The materials (limestone, flat tiles) and the layout (courtyard, outbuildings, worker housing) reflect its mixed use: bourgeois habitat and industrial management.

The forges of Pesmes, founded in 1660 by letters patent of Philip IV of Spain, produced weapons and cast iron for the arsenals of Toulon and Rochefort. They were strengthened to the Rossigneux family (1768-Revolution), and were modernized under Catherine Rochet, widow Dornier, in the early 19th century. Two blast furnaces and workshops (including a coal hall) marked the peak of the site, before its decline after 1875 and the final closure in 1993.

Ranked Historic Monument in 1993, the castle retains protected elements: facades, roofs, 19th century parquet floors, and an orangery. The site now houses a museum of Forges (since 1998) in the former blast furnace, while the owner's residence remains a private property. The hydropower plant, installed in 1976, perpetuates the energy heritage of the site.

The social history of the forges is marked by workers' housing (26 built in 1788-1789), a fluctuating labour force (66 employed in 1840, 34 in 1976), and industrial conversions: tools (separators, shears) under the Christian and Amstutz families (XX century). The sale as a national good in 1795 and the architectural transformations (1824-1830) illustrate the economic changes of the region.

Materials and techniques bear witness to technological developments: stone and coated for historical buildings, sheaths and chewing parpaings for 20th century extensions. The bridge over Ognon (rebuilt in the 19th century) and the Goulut-Borne turbines (1930s) highlight the adaptation of the site to energy needs, before its heritage preservation.

External links