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Origin and history

The Château du Tertre was built in 1732 at the initiative of Charles du Tertre, an adviser to the Parliament of Metz, on a land erected in Barony in 1721 by Duke Léopold in favour of his family. This rectangular house body, covered with a slate roof, has a main facade of cut stone decorated with Tuscan pilasters and a triangular pediment bearing the date of construction. Its interior preserves panels and ceilings painted by Louis Yard, local artist.

Originally owned by the Tertre family, the castle became a national property after the emigration of Jean-Baptiste-Nicolas-Louis du Tertre in 1790. Sold in 1795, it was bought by the commune in 1859 to house successively a presbytery, a perception, and then the town hall since 1983. Three interior rooms, including the vestibule and the living room, still bear witness to its original décor, with paintings and a fireplace from the early 19th century.

The estate, preceded by a courtyard and a surviving pavilion with a monumental entrance, illustrates the 18th century Lorrain civil architecture. Its secondary facades, in crepe moellons, contrast with the sobriety of the main facade. Partially classified in 1980 for its movable objects (toiles and faience fountain), the castle has been fully protected since 1998, including its outbuildings.

The history of the castle is linked to that of the Barony of Tronville, shared between King Stanislas and the family of Tertre. François Vyart, the father of Thérèse du Tertre, played a key role in obtaining the erection in baronnia in 1721, thanks to his duties as State councillor and Attorney General at Bar-le-Duc. The posterity of the castle, marked by the Revolution and its changes of vocation, reflects the political and social upheavals of modern Lorraine.

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