Brienne castle

Discover this exceptional building overlooking the hills of Brienne-le-Château, nicknamed the "Little Versailles of the Aube"! It can be visited exceptionally during guided tours offered occasionally throughout the season.

The town of Brienne had a feudal castle, mentioned as early as 951, whose manuscripts mention a wall with a keep that was destroyed numerous times. In 1640, the Luxembourg family sold the feudal castle to Henri Auguste de Loménie. A little later, Nicolas Louis de Loménie inherited the County of Brienne. Among his children, two stood out: Etienne Charles was Louis XVI's Prime Minister, and Louis Marie Athanase, Minister and Secretary of State for War. It was he who inherited the old fortress of Brienne in 1757. As it fell into ruin, he decided to demolish it and build the current building. The castle was built according to the plans of the architect JL Fontaine, from 1770 and the pavilions from 1770 to 1772. The inauguration took place on August 25, 1778, Saint-Louis's Day (Louis being the first name of both the King of France and the Count of Brienne (Louis-Marie-Arthanase) but the works of art, paintings and sculptures were not completed until 1782. All the beautification work of the park was not completed until around 1789 on the eve of the French Revolution during which Louis Marie Athanase perished on the scaffold. His widow died in 1812. The castle is one of the most majestic in Champagne and by its refined style is nicknamed "The little Versailles of the Aube". During the Campaign of France of 1814, the castle was ransacked from top to bottom. In 1852, the The castle belongs by marriage to the Bauffremont family. Its last owner was Duke Théodore de Bauffremont. Following the latter's financial collapse, the castle was sold in October 1933 to a property dealer who dispersed the furniture, library, and works of art, leaving the castle abandoned. Purchased in 1955 by the General Council of Aube, it was converted into a psychotherapy center and inaugurated on May 24, 1959, which enabled it to be saved. Visits to the exterior are now prohibited to the public for security reasons. Some guided tours of the interiors are offered by the Association for the Preservation of Briennois Heritage. For this 2025 season, the next tours will take place from July to October. Contact the Grands Lacs de Champagne Tourist Office for more information and to book your visit.

Last updated on 31/03/2025 - Office de Tourisme Intercommunal des Grands Lacs de Champagne