Château de Bar sur Seine
Encyclopedia
The remains of the Château de Bar-sur-Seine are the ruins of a medieval French fortified castle
, destroyed in the 16th century. The site is in the town of Bar-sur-Seine
in the Aube
département.
The historic importance of the castle was due to its position on the frontier between Champagne
(a vassal
County
of the King of France) and the Burgundy
(a Duchy
allied with the English) during the Hundred Years War. At the time, the Château de Bar sur Seine was considered the most important in Burgundy. Its architecture is close in style to that of the Château de Peyrepertuse
in Aude
.
The Château de Bar sur Seine is a monument historique
listed by the French Ministry of Culture.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
, destroyed in the 16th century. The site is in the town of Bar-sur-Seine
Bar-sur-Seine
Bar-sur-Seine is a commune in the Aube department in north-central France.Situated on the River Seine, it is just off the A5 autoroute. The town is famous for its castle, the Château de Bar sur Seine.-Geography:...
in the Aube
Aube
Aube is a department in the northeastern part of France named after the Aube River. In 1995, its population was 293,100 inhabitants.- History :Aube is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
département.
The historic importance of the castle was due to its position on the frontier between Champagne
Champagne (province)
The Champagne wine region is a historic province within the Champagne administrative province in the northeast of France. The area is best known for the production of the sparkling white wine that bears the region's name...
(a vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
County
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of the King of France) and the Burgundy
Duchy of Burgundy
The Duchy of Burgundy , was heir to an ancient and prestigious reputation and a large division of the lands of the Second Kingdom of Burgundy and in its own right was one of the geographically larger ducal territories in the emergence of Early Modern Europe from Medieval Europe.Even in that...
(a Duchy
Duchy
A duchy is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess.Some duchies were sovereign in areas that would become unified realms only during the Modern era . In contrast, others were subordinate districts of those kingdoms that unified either partially or completely during the Medieval era...
allied with the English) during the Hundred Years War. At the time, the Château de Bar sur Seine was considered the most important in Burgundy. Its architecture is close in style to that of the Château de Peyrepertuse
Peyrepertuse
Peyrepertuse is a ruined fortress and one of the so-called Cathar castles located high in the French Pyrénées in the commune of Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse, in the Aude département, and has been associated with the Counts of Narbonne and Barcelona...
in Aude
Aude
Aude is a department in south-central France named after the river Aude. The local council also calls the department "Cathar Country".Aude is also a frequent feminine French given name in Francophone countries, deriving initially from Aude or Oda, a wife of Bertrand, Duke of Aquitaine, and mother...
.
Brief chronology
- 13th century : First building, adapted and altered into the 15th century
- 16th century : The Duchy of Burgundy includes Bar-sur-Seine as a county under Milon I
- 17 August 1219 : Death of Milon IV of Bar in the CrusadesCrusadesThe Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
- 1273 : Bar-sur-Seine passes into the hands of the Counts of Champagne, (Henri III le GrosHenry I of NavarreHenry I the Fat was the Count of Champagne and Brie and King of Navarre from 1270...
) - 14 August 1284 : Bar-sur-Seine passes into the hands of the King of France with the marriage of Jeanne de NavarreJoan I of NavarreJoan I , the daughter of king Henry I of Navarre and Blanche of Artois, reigned as queen regnant of Navarre and also served as queen consort of France.-Life:...
(born at Bar-sur-Seine) to Philippe IV le Bel - 21 May 1410 : Treaty of TroyesTreaty of TroyesThe Treaty of Troyes was an agreement that Henry V of England and his heirs would inherit the throne of France upon the death of King Charles VI of France. It was signed in the French city of Troyes on 21 May 1420 in the aftermath of the Battle of Agincourt...
cedes Bar-sur-Seine to the Dukes of Burgundy - 5 January 1477 : Death of the Duke of Burgundy Charles le Téméraire; Bar-sur-Seine returns to the French crown.
- 1594 : Local inhabitants profit from the political disorder caused by the Wars of ReligionFrench Wars of ReligionThe French Wars of Religion is the name given to a period of civil infighting and military operations, primarily fought between French Catholics and Protestants . The conflict involved the factional disputes between the aristocratic houses of France, such as the House of Bourbon and House of Guise...
and destroy the castle
The Château de Bar sur Seine is a monument historique
Monument historique
A monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
listed by the French Ministry of Culture.