Château de Passy-les-Tours, Medieval castle in Varennes-lès-Narcy, France

Château de Passy-les-Tours is a fortified residence with four round towers positioned at each corner of the main structure. The ensemble incorporates a substantial central keep with vaulted entrance passages that define its internal spaces.

Jean de Chevenon, a counselor to King Charles VI of France, commissioned this fortified residence at the end of the 14th century. It was built during a period when the French nobility reinforced their territorial strongholds.

The structure reflects architectural influences from the royal Château de Vincennes, visible in its design choices. This connection to a royal model reveals the status and ambitions of its original owner at court.

The castle is privately owned and viewing is typically limited to exterior observation from public areas. Visitors should respect the private property boundaries and check local information about access before visiting.

Perrinet Gressart, who held the castle from 1422, was no defender of the realm: he used it as a base for his routier company and in 1429 faced Joan of Arc at the siege of La Charité-sur-Loire. The castle passed in 1782 to the marquis de Vergennes, the diplomat who negotiated the American alliance, and he left it unrestored.