The Friends of Volkrange Castle can take a breather. The building, erected in its first version in the 13th century, will be accessible on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 September for the European Heritage Days. This summer, work on the main bridge was undertaken. The old drawbridge spanned the moat and led to the castle. The mobile wooden part, weakened by the years, was dismantled and replaced by a similar oak apron. The fixed part, made of stone, was reinforced by a support structure, made of metal and wood. The objective is to be able to support the possible passage of vehicles in the future, in order to maintain the site.
The restoration and security project, carried out by the specialist company Chanzy-Pardoux, was due to end this Monday. New oak railings were built identically on the structure which measures 2.5 meters wide and 2.3 meters long. The two wooden side walkways around the castle were in danger of collapsing. They were taken off (at least their aprons). The city of Thionville is financing this work, budgeted at 88,000 euros including tax. It now remains to clear the areas invaded by vegetation since access is limited, or even prohibited.
Resumption of public and educational activities
It has been 25 years since the castle, listed in the supplementary inventory of historic monuments, has been open to the public on the occasion of heritage days. “We even welcomed up to 800 visitors,” congratulates the president of the Friends of Volkrange Castle, Jean-Claude Barthélémy. If there are enough of them, the association’s volunteers will provide the visit. A video will be projected in the old chapel, retracing the work already carried out. Upstairs, costume skits will be performed. That of the thwarted love between Irmengarde, daughter of the lord of Volkrange, and the knight Guerlach of Neuersburg suffering from leprosy, locked up in the hermitage of Saint-Michel.
The rehabilitation of the main bridge will allow the conservation association to resume its activities with the public. L’escape game notably. The Friends of the castle even have other ideas, such as that of an educational pedestrian route around the building.
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