Château de Commercy

The COMMERCY Castle is a Baroque building in the same location of the Meuse department in Lorraine, which was built there by Charles Henri de Lorraine - Vaudémont instead of a medieval castle. Among other things belonging to the County of Saarbrücken, it came at the beginning of the 18th century in the possession of the Dukes of Lorraine. Its façade shows similarities to the castle Luneville.

History

The COMMERCY castle is first documented in 967. Around 1100 a named after the town nobility is called with Richwin Commercy first time. Through the marriage of Simon COMMERCY with Matilda of Saarbrücken rule COMMERCY was united after the death of the last Counts of Saarbrücken in 1274 with the county Saarbrücken. Count John II, there was in 1344 a division of an estate, the younger line to COMMERCY the name " Sarrebruck " retained. 1381 the Counts of Saarbrücken- COMMERCY were succeeded by the Count of Nassau, the rule COMMERCY to Louis de Bar sold in 1444.

The line COMMERCY died 1551 with Damoiselle Philippe Commercy from. In the following years there were multiple changes of ownership. Particular mention is Paul de Gondi, Cardinal de Retz, who wrote most of his famous memoirs here. Under the Count and later Prince Charles Henri de Lorraine - Vaudémont (1649-1723) were the castle and town converted into a baroque residence. Probably delivered Germain Boffrand the designs for the plans of the 1708 running to 1717 Castle building. After the death of Charles Henri COMMERCY finally fell to the Duchy of Lorraine. The exiled in Lorraine Polish King Stanislaus Leszczynski I used the palace as a secondary residence and left by Emmanuel Héré create the gardens and extend the wing of the castle.

After the death of Stanislaus ', 1766, with the Duchy of Lorraine fell to France, the plants were neglected. In the period 1767 to 1927 the castle served as a cavalry barracks. 1944 was severely damaged and rebuilt only in the 1960s.

Description

Originally passed in COMMERCY two castles: the older "Upper Castle " in its place, the present castle stands, for which the Counts of Saarbrücken- COMMERCY were given the right of inheritance in 1344 to build a dungeon, and the " Lower Castle ", a moated castle on the banks of the Meuse.

From the " Upper Castle " by Héré converted into a garden terrace substructures have been preserved with three round towers in the castle today.

The Baroque palace with a courtyard reminiscent with its colossal Ionic columns of Procedure to the central projection of the castle Luneville. The side wings were continued to the city by Héré in concave occupied with vases and trophies Marstall galleries with a narrow passage. Thus, the Schlossplatz vaguely reminiscent of St. Peter's Square in Rome. Cross runs through the town, the castle axis as street ( Rue Carnot ), which still continues for several kilometers until the next range of hills ( forest road today ). Was located on the garden side once one of Héré from the Meuse canal Advanced Water Parterre with sculptures of Neptune and Amphitrite. The closure was a " Point de Vue " a 550 yards away " Château d' eau" with cascades.