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Origin and history

Charbogne's fortified farm, located in the Ardennes, is an emblematic example of 16th century rural defensive buildings. Suzanne Briet describes her as a sober quadrilateral, with limited openings, surrounded by partially filled moats and flanked by round towers. Originally, a drawbridge protected northern access, while monumental chimneys, especially in the southeast and southwest towers, testify to its residential and agricultural use. The building combines functional simplicity and defensive elements, characteristic of the strongholds of the region.

The history of the site dates back to the 12th century, but its present structure takes shape at the end of the 16th century under the impulse of Jean de Guiot, governor of Mézières. This soldier acquired the seigneury of Charbogne in 1587 and erected a castle there comprising a house, walls of enclosure, two north towers, a drawbridge and moats. Sold in 1676 to Antoine de Wignacourt, the building declined from the end of the seventeenth century. The Revolution transformed it into a "national good", and then it became a farm in the 19th century: the house turned into a stable, towers into attices or sheepfolds.

Modern conflicts are a lasting sign of the farm. During World War I, the northeast tower and stables were destroyed. The abandonment accelerated in the 20th century: the house body collapsed in 1989, followed by the east towers. Saved in 2006 by a private owner, the site is renovated to become a holiday cottage. Ranked a historic monument in 1948, it now embodies the resilience of the Ardennes heritage, between seigneurial memory and contemporary adaptation.

Historical sources underline its role in the Ardennes rural organisation. Suzanne Briet and Jean Marchal see it as a model of hybrid architecture, both seigneurial and agricultural. The successive transformations — from a castle to a farm and then to a tourist residence — reflect the economic and social changes of the region, from the wars of Religion to the present heritage valorization. Philippe Seydoux's studies and the articles of the Union document this evolution, while highlighting the challenges of its preservation.

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