Château de Commercy 2.23

The Château de Commercy is a castle in the town of Commercy, in the Meuse department of France. It was the principal residence of the reigning Prince of Commercy and was built by Charles Henri de Lorraine. The site, château and grounds, was classified Monument historique in 1960, with the town being added in 1972.HistoryIn 1708, Charles Henri de Lorraine, prince de Vaudémont, a legitimised son of the Duke of Lorraine, began to reconstruct the old building to designs by Germain Boffrand. At the same time, Boffrand had also started work on the nearby Château de Lunéville, then the residence of Charles Henri's half-cousin Léopold de Lorraine, the then Duke of Lorraine.In 1723, Léopold was given the Principality of Commercy at the death of Charles Henri who died without heir. As such, Commercy became another land holding of the House of Lorraine. In 1729, Léopold died at Lunéville. He was succeeded by his son, François III de Lorraine, future spouse of the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria.