Château de Coucy

About

The Château de Coucy is a former castle and seigneurial residence, built from the 13th century, now in ruins and whose remains stand on the French commune of Coucy-le-Château-Auffrique in the department of Aisne, in the Hauts-de-France region. The castle was the seat of Coucy's powerful house until the death of Enguerrand VII de Coucy in 1397. Prior to its destruction in 1917, Coucy Castle was known for its imposing 54-metre-high and 31-metre-wide dungeon, considered the highest in the West, higher than that of Vincennes Castle, and the site was among the most visited in France in the early years of the 20th century.

This impressive towermaster was destroyed by the German army, which had occupied Coucy for two years, when he retired from the Hindenburg and Siegfried lines, without any military necessity justifying this decision. Besides its dungeon, the German soldiers also ravaged the city of the Sires de Coucy: the four massive corner towers of the castle, as well as the gates of the fortified city of Coucy (among others, the imposing Laon gate) and many buildings in the village (including the belfry...