Frouard Castle

Frouard Castle, locally known as Château de Frouard, lies on a wooded hill above the town of the same name, in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in France.

Frouard Castle was built some years before 1263 by Frederick III, Duke of Lorraine on a spur above the village. It served to monitor his borders with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toul to the west, the County of Bar in the north and the Bishopric of Metz to the east. It was an outpost of the town of Nancy and covered the northern approach.

In the mid-15th century, the castle was under the control of the Lords of Nancy-Lenoncourt, vassals and ducal officers who ensured for its care and maintenance. The Burgundy expansion in Lorraine then gave a new role to the castle. This led the Marshal of Lorraine, Jean de Fénétrange, to undertake fortification works in the village and at the castle to prevent these incursions.

In the early 16th century, Frouard Castle was the place where the young Mary of Guise (the future mother of Mary, Queen of Scots) was raised for 10 years.

The castle never became an administrative or residential center and remained an addiction to Nancy. Like other castles in the region, it was dismantled in 1635 by the French armies and served as a quarry in the 18th and 19th centuries.

At present not much remains but a part of a round corner tower and several foundations. The ruin of Frouard Castle is freely accessible. Just a small ruin, not very interesting.

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