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Key figures

Origin and history

The mansion of the Tourelles, located in Rumilly-lès-Vaudes in the Aube, is an old fortified house of the 16th century, recognizable by its four turrets of cannon trees. Originally, he served as an administrative residence for representatives of the King of France and the Abbot of Molesme, local lords. His duties included the management of the estate, as evidenced by the royal weapons and heraldic decorations still visible.

Around 1530, the rich Trojan butcher Pierre Pion changed the building, adding Renaissance elements such as a carved ceiling and adorned chimneys. After his death, Francis II of Vienna, abbot of Molesme, decorated the coats of the four chimneys. The manor was also marked by the presence of Louis XII, then Senechal of Champagne (1384), whose mutilated weapons adorn the north gate.

At the Revolution, the mansion became a national property before being acquired by the Labille family of the Rocatelle. Rumilly-lès-Vaudes in 1902 to set up the town hall and a school. Since 1947, it has been home to the town hall, while its ground floor serves as a reception room. Ranked a historic monument in 1903, it is the only 16th century classified rural building in the Dawn, preserved in its integrity.

The architecture of the mansion reveals medieval and Renaissance influences, with a south gallery adorned with blazes, a staircase with screws to the wide steps, and a frame of ship's keel overturned. The Companions' symbols, such as a column with inverted turns or animal sculptures (dog, wolf, fox), recall their contribution to its construction and renovation. A discreet oratory and cellars in the basement add to its mystery.

The interior decorations, such as the coat of arms of Peter Pion and his family on the beams, or those of Antoine II of Vienna on a fireplace, illustrate the links between the Trojan bourgeoisie, clergy and nobility. The northern gate, surmounted by the royal arms and the cordon of the order of Saint Michael, highlights his past linked to the royal power. Today, the mansion remains a unique testimony of local history and period craftsmanship.

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