En un regard
Le château en bref
In Ligny-en-Barrois, in the Ornain valley between Bar-le-Duc and Commercy, all that remains of the mighty castle of the lords of Ligny is a tall tower of about twenty-two metres, known as the Tour du Luxembourg or Tour Valéran. The stronghold dates from the 12th century; initially linked to the counts of Champagne, it passed to the county of Bar, and in the 13th century belonged to the House of Luxembourg. Valéran III of Ligny had the Porte des Moulins built, of which the present tower is the surviving remnant; begun in the 12th century, it was completed in the 14th and 15th centuries. In 1430, Jean II of Luxembourg-Ligny, an ally of the Burgundians, sadly distinguished himself by capturing Joan of Arc at Compiègne before handing her over to the English. Besieged in 1544, the castle was dismantled in the 18th century, and only the tower survives, long used as a prison. It is among the first monuments classified in France, on the list of 1840. Owned by the commune, it now overlooks the former castle park, which has become a public garden.