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Montcornet Castle () is a
castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...
in the '' commune'' of Montcornet in the
Ardennes The Ardennes ( ; ; ; ; ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, extending into Germany and France. Geological ...
''département'' of France.


History

The castle was built between the 11th and 12th centuries by the first occupants, the Montcornets. In the 13th and 14th centuries, the fortress passed to Miles de Noyer and then to the Mello family. In 1446, Antoine I de Croy repurchased the castle and rebuilt it almost completely. In 1613, Charles of Gonzaga, who was in the process of building the nearby Charleville, capital of the Principauté d'Arches, purchases the castle. From then it passed into the hands of the Meillerais, then finally to the
duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...
of Aiguillon, who dismantled it around 1760. Only ruins survive today. The artefacts excavated from the castle grounds—keys, currency, pottery, bones, etc.—are on display in a room of the castle. Château de Montcornet has been listed as a ''
monument historique () is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, ...
'' by the
French Ministry of Culture The Ministry of Culture () is the ministry (government department), ministry of the Government of France in charge of List of museums in France, national museums and the . Its goal is to maintain the French identity through the promotion and pro ...
since 1926.


Architecture


Gallery

File:Vue Montcornet5.JPG, ''Haute cour'' File:Salle d'armes Montcornet.JPG, ''Salle d'armes'' File:Armoiries Montcornet 2.JPG, Montcornet coat of arms


See also

*
List of castles in France This is a list of castles in France, arranged by Regions of France, region and Departments of France, department. ;Notes: # The French word ''château'' has a wider meaning than the English ''castle'': it includes architectural entities that are p ...


References


External links

*
The Château de Montcornet in the « ''Archéologie en terre d'Ardenne'' » site
Castles in the Ardennes (France) Ruined castles in Grand Est Châteaux in Ardennes (department) Monuments historiques of Ardennes (department) Gonzaga residences {{France-castle-stub