Construction of the tower XIIIe siècle (≈ 1350)
House with house and barn.
2010
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 2010 (≈ 2010)
Registration of the tower by decree.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The whole tower (Cd. G 857): inscription by order of 26 April 2010
Key figures
Information non disponible - No character cited
Sources do not mention any names.
Origin and history
The seigneurial house of Champignol-lez-Mondeville is a medieval building whose tower, the only vestige of the 13th century, bears witness to the defensive architecture of the period. Built of cut stone and rubble, it has narrow openings and a decorated door, characteristic of the first decades of the 13th century. Its square plan and its two independent floors suggest a utility function rather than habitative, reinforced by the presence of latrines on the floor.
This tower probably served as a place of justice and seigneurial jail under the Old Regime, as the archives attest. Its austere appearance symbolized the power of Clairvaux Abbey, on which it depended. Today, it is the only preserved medieval vestige of the former seigneurial houses linked to this abbey in the region.
Ranked a historical monument in 2010, the tower is located in Place de la Mairie, in Champignol-lez-Mondeville, in the Aube department. Its inscription concerns the entire structure (Cadastre G 857), stressing its heritage importance. Although it lacks original houses and barns, it offers a rare example of medieval seigneurial architecture preserved in the Great East.
