Castle of Havré

Dating to 1266, the site has withstood several sieges, which have altered the area’s layout overtime. In 1518, the castle fell into the hands of the House of Croÿ, and received a surgeon named Ambroise Paré who saved the life of Charles Philip de Croÿ in 1569 by tying his arteries, which was contrary to the prevailing practice. At the end of the 16th century, the castle was in a sorry state. Charles Alexander de Croÿ, Marquis of Havré, envisioned a new, majestic design and capped the 14th century octagonal dungeon with a fine slate onion dome in 1603. Thus converted into an opulent residence, the castle hosted some prominent visitors: Van Dyck, Rubens, Mary de Medici, Infanta Isabella, Mary of Hungary, and the Duke of Malborough, among others. After the French Revolution, the Croÿ family no longer inhabited the castle. They had neglected it, and abandoned it once and for all in 1839. In 1919, Canon Puissant tried to save the building, but he could not afford to pay for the task. By 1930, the building started to collapse and the very existence of the domain was threatened. Fortunately, on the initiative of Emile Poumon, a local historian, a number of citizens formed an NPO in 1978 and started the long work of safeguarding the place. At weekends and on public holidays, during the summer period when the gardens are open (mid-May to September), from 2pm to 6pm, the exhibition rooms in the Tour des Gardes and the courtyard of the château are freely accessible, unless the château is rented out.