Photo : Tango7174 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Château de Septmonts
The village of Septmonts, a few kilometres from Soissons in the Aisne, owes its fame to its castle, a former residence of the bishops of Soissons, who stayed here from the 12th century. Bishop Simon de Bucy rebuilt the castle in the 14th century and had the keep built from 1373.
The ensemble includes the keep, the 13th-14th-century Chapel of Saint-Louis, the square tower and an early 16th-century Renaissance residence known as the bishops' lodge. Over time the castle was surrounded by moats and a curtain wall, of which remains survive. The bishops stopped living here at the end of the 17th century.
Bombarded in 1918, the site remained roofless until the founding in 1971 of the Amis de Septmonts association, which works to safeguard it. The commune became the owner in 1978. The keep and chapel have been listed since 1920. The Renaissance residence hosts exhibitions, and guided tours are organised, notably during the European Heritage Days.
