Scey Castle

Scey Castle, locally known as Château de Scey or Castel Saint-Denis, lies south of the village of Scey-en-Varais in the Doubs department in France.

Scey Castle, having been founded in 1020, was first mentioned in 1083 on a rocky spur separating the Loue valley and the Valbois ravine. Its oldest remaining part is the keep, called the Saint-Denis Tower, which was built in 1166 by Pierre de Scey. Another keep, which has now disappeared, was built at the end of the spur after 1179.

During the Hundred Years' War, in 1364, the castle was taken by a band of mercenary soldiers.

Around 1480 Scey Castle was sacked by the troops of Louis XI of France, which left it badly damaged. Although Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, authorized re-fortification of the castle in 1494 that didn't happen.

In 1550, Nicolas Perrenot de Granvelle, advisor to Emperor Charles V, bought the ruined castle. Granvelle then finally had the castle rebuilt between 1565 and 1576.

Once again besieged by Swedish troops in 1639, it was in 1674 that Scey Castle was definitively destroyed on the orders of Louis XIV of France.

The castle consisted of an inner castle, situated on a rocky spur. It was separated from the trapezoidal bailey by a moat. The bailey itself was also divided into 2 separate parts by another moat.

When I visited Scey Castle was only partially accessible because there were works going on in the inner castle. A very nice castle.

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