The castle of Marnay is located in the town of the same name, in the department of Haute-Saône, 23 km northwest of Besançon.
Bordering the course of the Ognon, to the east of the city, a first castle is mentioned from the 11th century.
It then came under the Holy German Empire, whose sovereign, also King of Burgundy, Henry III, feared the desires of the Comtois to free themselves from his authority.
It will thus be necessary to wait until 1678 for Marnay to be integrated into the kingdom of France.
In the 13th century, the remodeled castle watched over the road between Langres and Besançon. Then in the 14th century the inhabitants were authorized to erect an enclosure. Several times besieged, the castle was rebuilt, enlarged and fortified at the beginning of the 17th century.
However, even before 1789, the castle which had many owners (the families of Joiville, Montbéliard, Neufchâtel, Gorrevod and Bauffremont) was in the process of degradation. Louis XIV also for a time asked for its dismantling.
The state of affairs is even more alarming after the Revolution: the castle is divided and sold in batches. Its courtyard became one of the city's public squares, and "parasitic" buildings were erected on either side of old elements.
Nowadays, however, there are still interesting testimonies of the old stronghold (moreover protected as a whole as historical monuments): during a walk in Marnay (the town being labeled "city of character"), are thus to be seen the entrance door, the seigniorial dwelling, a polygonal tower, the pavilion of the archives. The garden and the large stables, on the other hand, have disappeared.
Only the exteriors of these remains are accessible, apart from the dwelling which now houses a lithography workshop. Visit by appointment on +33 6 87 64 93 02.
Guided tour of the city of Marnay with a stop in front of the remains of the castle in season. Information on +33 3 84 31 90 91.