Vic-sur-Aisne Tower

Vic-sur-Aisne Tower, locally known as Donjon de Vic-sur-Aisne, lies in the village with the same name, in the Aisne department in France.

The domain of Vic-sur-Aisne was first mentioned in 814 when it came into the possession of the Grand Royal Abbey of St. Médard de Soissons. It remained in their possession until the Revolution.

Vic-sur-Aisne Tower was first built out of wood on a stone foundation in the 8th century. At the end of the 9th century, the keep played an important military role, stopping the Norman invasion to Soissons. In the 12th century the keep was completely rebuilt in stone. It is some 25 meters high and has walls of up to 2 meters thick.

In the late 16th century, during the French Wars of Religion, the castle at Vic-sur-Aisne was taken in turn by the Huguenots and the King's armies, which caused the castle to be badly damaged. The battlements and parapets of the castle were dismantled and its towers were destroyed.

In the first decade of the 17th century the ruined castle was rebuilt by the abbot Father Francois Hotman. He equipped the old keep with a stair tower and erected a mansard roofed château next to it.

During the French Revolution the uninhabited castle was confiscated and sold to a Jean-Baptiste Clouet whose descendants, the Reiset family, owned the castle until the end of World War II. He embellished the castle.

During World War I Vic Castle was used as headquarters by the French Army as the front was only 2 kilometers away. During that time it was visited by Pétain amongst other generals. After the war the castle was emptied of its furniture. During World War II the castle was briefly occupied by the Americans who also damaged the castle and destroyed its library.

At present the château and the keep are privately owned and can sometimes be visited. Too bad that it was closed when I came by.

Gallery