Héricourt Castle

Héricourt Castle, locally known as Château d'Héricourt, lies in the town of the same name in the Haute-Saône department in France.

Héricourt Castle was first mentioned in 1173, it was probably built earlier that century by the Lords of Héricourt.

At the start of the 14th century the castle was bought by Reginald of Burgundy, Count of Montbéliard. It passed to the Margrave of Baden through marriage in 1332. The Dukes of Habsburg took it in 1369 en enfeoffed it to the Lords of Neufchâtel in 1377.

By 1425 Héricourt Castle was a ruin but it was rebuilt in 1427. The castle then had 4 large towers connected by solid ramparts of 12 m high, 4 m wide. It was surrounded by an 8 m wide ditch and there was a drawbridge. It was probably part of the town walls.

When the castle was taken by the troops of Ulrich, Duke of Württemberg, in 1561, it was described as being in good condition, with 4 beautiful large towers, 14 well furnished rooms and well supplied with artillery, ammunition and provisions. In 1588 however, the Count of Montbéliard, took down 3 of the castle's 4 towers, leaving only the present one to survive.

The castle was the residence of the composer Johann Jakob Froberger in the 1660s. His patroness was Sibylle of Württemberg, dowager Duchess of Montbéliard, who owned the castle at that time.

In the 18th century Héricourt Castle was dismantled.

At present part of the Héricourt Castle is in use as a school. I don't know if the interior of the tower can ever be visited. A curious castle remnant, positioned between a church and a hospital car park, which original layout is a bit hard to envision.

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