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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The estate of the Castle of Changey, located in the hamlet of Changey in Échevronne (Côte-d Built between 1700 and 1750 by the Guyard family, Marquis de Changey, it embodies the aristocratic architecture of the period, with a main building body, a private chapel and commons organized around two courtyards. Its park, structured in three parts (garden of pleasure, landscaped park and wooded terrace), is fed by an ingenious hydraulic system that serves basins, washhouse and bean-shaped water.

The land of Échérronne, initially divided between several lords, passed successively to the Duke of Burgundy, then to the King of France, before being acquired in 1586 by Jehan of Damascus. In 1640 François Blondeau, knight and president of Metz's parliament, became its owner, followed in 1683 by Hubert Guyard, councillor in parliament. The Guyard, Marquis anoblis of Changey at the end of the 17th century, retained the estate until 1923. In the 19th century, a north wing was added to accommodate staff, while the park was enriched with pavilions (orangery, kennels, greenhouse) and utility facilities such as a cooler and a vegetable garden.

Ranked as a Historic Monument in 2019, the estate includes, in addition to the castle and its chapel, two courtyards with commons, a secondary entrance gate, and a vast park punctuated with pavilions (poilers, porches covered in lava). The hydraulic system, powered by gravity, bears witness to the technical know-how of the time. Together, including walls, gates and avenues, is protected for its architectural and landscape unit, reflecting the way of life of a provincial nobility between the 17th and 19th centuries.

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