Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Castellane tower, located in Epernay in the Great East, was built between 1889 and 1904 for the champagne house founded in 1895 by Viscount Florens de Castellane. The latter, cousin of Boni de Castellane, a Parisian worldly figure, chose as his emblem the red cross of Saint Andrew, symbol of the regiment of Champagne. The tower, 66 meters high, served as a water castle and advertising medium, displaying the cities where champagne was distributed (New York, Barcelona, Alexandria, etc.). The buildings, attributed to architect Alexandre-Édouard Fournier, combine brick, stone and ceramic, with Art Nouveau motifs.

The champagne house, originally created by Ludovic Girard in 1883, was taken over by the Mérand family in 1936, retaining the prestigious name of Castellane. The site includes 9 km of cellars, a hundred vats, and a museum dedicated to the Champagne tradition. The tower, listed as a historic monument in 1990, illustrates the alliance between industry, art and marketing at the turn of the 20th century. Its reinforced concrete architecture, innovative for the time, was noticed by the Société des architectes de la Marne in 1907.

Today owned by the Laurent-Perrier group, the tower remains a symbol of Épernay, visible from Avenue de Champagne. It embodies the golden age of champagne, where luxury and modernity blended to promote a product that became emblematic of French celebration and prestige. The decorations, including winged Victories and wildlife, as well as the painted tile panels, highlight this artistic and commercial ambition.

Future

Today, the house belongs to the Laurent-Perrier group. The buildings house a museum of the Champagne tradition dedicated to the evolution of winemaking techniques and allowing to discover the development of champagne wine.

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