Château de Semouse, Neo-Renaissance château in Xertigny, France
Château de Semouse is a late-19th-century residence featuring ornate exterior details, tall windows, and balanced proportions characteristic of French aristocratic homes. The structure exhibits the refined building standards of its time in both layout and surface treatment.
The château was built in 1885 as the home of Victor de Pruines, a gendarmerie officer who married into the Hildebrand family, owners of local iron businesses. Its construction tied the residence closely to the region's industrial growth.
The chapel in Neo-Romanesque style holds remains of the de Pruines family and shows how religious spaces were integrated into this residence. The chapel reflects the building traditions and faith of that era.
Following a major fire in October 2023, only the exterior walls remain intact, making the interior inaccessible to visitors. The facade can be viewed from outside, but access inside is not possible.
The château was built directly beside the Semouse ironworks, which had supplied iron to a wire-drawing mill in Plombières-les-Bains since 1697. This close positioning reveals the connection between a noble residence and industrial operations during that era.
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