Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The château d'Arnay-le-Duc, also known as the former mansion of Juilly or château des Princes de Condé, is a second quarter of the 16th century building built under François I by Charles Merlan de Beaumont, receiver of finances and seigneur of Juilly. He remained in the Merlan family until 1562, when he passed to the Chabot-Charny (Leonor) in payment of debts. In 1570, the future Henri IV stayed there at the Battle of Arnay-le-Duc. In the 17th century the castle was thoroughly remodeled by the 3rd prince of Condé, although his son, the Grand Condé, never returned. He then changed hands among the aristocracy, becoming property of the Lorraine-Harcourt before being ceded to the city in 1756 to serve as a town hall, then sold as national property in 1792.

From 1792 to 1865, the castle, stripped of its furniture and architectural elements (like a fireplace exported to the United States in Villa Vanderbilt), houses a textile factory. From 1865 to 1957, it was occupied by the production of Proutat-Michot-Thomeret (PMT) files, awarded with universal exhibitions and employing up to 400 people. Industrial activity partially denatures the premises, adding buildings that are now missing. After a municipal renovation (1958-1967), it hosted the Pierre-Meunier educational centre until 2019, before being sold to a private owner. Since 2022, it has been home to a restaurant. Ranked a historic monument in 1926, it no longer visited, but its exteriors remained accessible.

Architecturally, the castle blends Renaissance elements (windows with splinters, corinthian pilasters) with later additions, such as the polygonal tower known as Marguerite de Bourgogne, offering a 360° view. The western courtyard, marked by a ironwork grid with PMT initials, recalls its industrial past. Together, in return for square, keeps flat tiles and a modest elevation, except the tower. The interiors, completely redesigned, do not retain almost any original vestige. The coat of arms of the Merlan, Chabot, Condé and Lorraine-Harcourt families, as well as the municipal emblem reinterpreted by the PMT lineage, testify to its turbulent history.

Future

It now houses the Pierre-Meunier educational centre.

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