Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château du Petit Monthairon, located in the commune of Monthairons (Meuse, Grand Est), was built between 1857 and 1859 by Charles-Henri de la Cour on the site of a former seigneurial residence acquired by his family in 1685. This 225-hectare estate, including forests and park, housed a 16th-century chapel turned into a hermitage, as well as a legendary heronary that was supposedly the name of the village. The neo-classical architecture of the castle is inspired by Azay-le-Rideau, with a monumental grid and dovecote towers.

During World War I, the castle was requisitioned in 1915 to serve as an American military hospital, even welcoming composer Maurice Ravel in 1916. In 1902, it was sold to the Baron of Chadenet and then occupied by the Germans during World War II. Repurchased in 1985 by the Thouvenin family, it is today a charming hostellerie. The park, with its garden factories and chapel, has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1996.

The site is linked to historical figures such as Dom Didier de la Cour (1550–1623), Benedictine beatified prior whose relics were transferred to the family chapel in 1811, and General Nicolas de la Cour, from this Lorrain lineage. In 2016, a commemoration marked the centenary of Ravel's passage, and in 2018 President Emmanuel Macron stayed there for the commemorations of the Armistice.

The park, bordered by a meander of the Meuse, preserves traces of a possible ancient river bed ("Death Meuse"), evoking medieval hydraulic works under Bishop Thierry (1046–1099). A central driveway once provided a view of the village clock. The heronary, always active, perpetuates the toponymic legend of the "Mont des Herons".

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