Château du Pailly

En un regard

Le château en bref

About fifteen kilometres from Langres, the Château du Pailly is considered one of the finest examples of Renaissance architecture in the former region of Champagne-Ardenne. It is built around a sturdy medieval tower that still dominates the courtyard. The estate, for a long time linked to the bishops of Langres, passed to the Saulx family, and it was Gaspard de Saulx-Tavannes, future Marshal of France, who had the château rebuilt in the Renaissance style between 1563 and 1570. The courtyard façades display the Ionic and Corinthian orders. The north wing houses large reception rooms served by a spiral staircase from the original construction, the west wing contains the private apartments opening onto a balcony, and the south wing a gallery, an innovative feature for the period. The Saulx-Tavannes family owned the château until 1764; Jean-François Moreau du Breuil restored it in 1821. Listed as a monument historique on 27 July 1921, it became state property in 1963. An association runs the site, with guided visits, summer exhibitions and activities for young visitors.