Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Soupir, originally a 16th century manor house, was entirely rebuilt at the end of the 19th century in a Renaissance style by Pauline Ple, who acquired it in 1873. It preserved the two medieval stone towers from the old fortress, while modernizing the whole. The estate then included a park designed by landscaper Édouard Redont, with a large canal and an artificial island decorated with a brick tower.

In 1902, when Pauline Plé died, the castle was bought by Marie Georget, known as Mary Boursin, who added a monumental portal to it in 1908, the only vestige at present. This portal, decorated with hunting-related figures, marked the entrance to a flourishing estate. The route of the canal and the moat, partially visible today, still bear witness to the landscape ambition of the place.

As early as 1914, the castle became a strategic issue during World War I, located on the front line. Turned into a military hospital, it was burned down in November 1914 and destroyed by the bombings. In 1915 works were saved from the ruins by the curator of the Nevers Museum, but the razed estate was sold in 1926 to an agricultural company. The latter dismantled the last structures to convert the 454 hectares into arable land.

The portal, entrance gates and moat were finally classified as historical monuments in 2007. Today, these remains, private property, recall the tormented history of the site, between architectural rebirth and war destruction. The brick tower on the island and the concrete rock bridge, although degraded, complete this fragmentary heritage.

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