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Origin and history

The castle of Arlay, located in Arlay in the Jura, is a historical complex composed of the ruins of an 11th century castle and an 18th century private castle. Ranked a historical monument since 1996, it is known as the oldest "Château-vingoble" in France. Its origin dates back to a Gallo-Roman oppidum, transformed into a medieval fortress by the lords of Chalon-Arlay, powerful barons of the Jura whose wealth came from the salt mines of Salins. The latter, who became princes of Orange in the 15th century, made Arlay a major stronghold before its destruction in 1479 by Louis XI, after the fall of Charles the Temerary.

In the 16th century, the estate passed to the House of Orange-Nassau via Philibert de Chalon, then to his heirs, including Guillaume I of Orange-Nassau, ancestor of the present sovereigns of the Netherlands. The motto "I will maintain", still used by the Dutch royal family, finds its roots in this line. After two centuries of estate proceedings, the estate was awarded in 1730 to Élisabeth-Pauline de Ghent, Duchess of Lauragais, who transformed the former Minimes convent into a principal residence in the 18th century, creating a romantic park in the walls of the ruins.

During the French Revolution, Elizabeth-Pauline was guillotined in 1794, and the castle was sequestered. Recaptured in 1825 by his grandson, Prince-duke Pierre d'Arenberg, the furniture was reconstructed in a Restoration style. Since 1960, the family of La Guiche has been operating the 21-hectare vineyard in AOC Côtes du Jura, producing 80,000 bottles annually, and in 1996 created the "Jeus Garden", labeled "Remarkable Garden". The ruins of the castle, surrounded by this wine estate, bear witness to ten centuries of history linked to the great European dynasties.

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