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Château de Longwy

ruined castle in Longwy in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département of France

Architectural plans, a scale model, maps and brass measuring instruments
Places and architectureInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionNov 30, 2025
Entity authorityQ17100452 ↗
Source-derived summary

The Château de Longwy is a ruined castle, incorporated into the town's fortifications, in the commune of Longwy in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département of France.

History

Dating probably from the 11th century, the castle passed at the end of the 12th century from the possession of the Counts of Bar to the Dukes of Lorraine. The Bars regained it in 1292 and held it until its destruction, making it the northernmost stronghold of their lands. It was taken by the French in 1646 and destroyed in 1672, at the same time as the rest of the town's fortifications, to permit the future construction of Longwy's stronghold. All that is left are remains of a tower which had probably been reconstructed in the 15th century (possibly the tour de (tower of) Malcouvert or Maucouvert mentioned in 16th century texts) situated at the extreme north of the site. The castle comprised 11 towers, a keep and two gates. It was constructed from limestone.

The remains of the castle and the 17th century fortifications designed by Vauban are listed as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Château de Longwy” as ruined castle in Longwy in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département of France. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Château, Longwy and ruined.

Editorial reviewA valuable geographic starting point for tracing changing names, boundaries, uses and administrative responsibility. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1292, 1646, 1672—that can be checked directly. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Château, Longwy and ruined providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Château de Longwy”, the useful work is to connect “ruined castle in Longwy in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département of France” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Nov 30, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q17100452. Authority coordinates are 49.526, 5.765. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1292, 1646 and 1672.

Critical limits

A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.

Best used for
  • Historic place names
  • Jurisdictional context
  • Routes into maps and plans
Verify next

Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Château de Longwy”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Château de Longwy primary sources, Château de Longwy archive and Château research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Château de Longwy”?
  2. Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
  3. What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Subject index

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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Château de Longwy” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.