“For film noir, Americans have New York or San Francisco. Me, I chose Lorraine”, said director Jean-Pierre Mocky. The castle of Jaulny (Meurthe-et-Moselle) could have served as a setting for the series Game Of Thrones. This impressive square fortress, planted on a rocky outcrop at the foot of which flows the Rupt-de-Mad, is a miracle in this territory where many castles were once destroyed by the troops of Louis XIV. This sleeping beauty – whose austerity is softened by the huge plane trees that run along the ramparts offering a breathtaking view – emerged from its torpor two and a half years ago.
Its new owner, Emmanuel Penetrat, fell into the pot when he was little. He doesn’t know why, but the Middle Ages have always fascinated him. The castles, in particular. The presence of a lord and the soul of a troubadour, the Lorrain was looking for a castle where he could travel through time, surrounded by loopholes and crossbows, sipping hypocras (medieval alcohol made from sweet wine and spices). When he discovered the place, in 2020, the estate had been on sale for six years. His unconscious quickly swept away the real estate agent’s warning: once purchased, 2 million euros will be needed to restore it. “My heart was beating, I only saw the potential”, recalls this former entrepreneur, who sold his IT company in 2015.
His “gente dame”, Aurore Thiebaut, was, at first glance, not very thrilled. “But I quickly saw her as a strict granny who has a lot to tell. If we took care of this place, we would take people with us. » Like these neighbours, a brewer and a beekeeper, who created beer and honey bearing the image of Jaulny. Or this art history professor who redecorated the whole castle with a certain taste and an eye for detail. For schoolchildren, welcomed regularly, “We followed in the footsteps of the former owner, Anna Collignon, who had done a wonderful job of setting up fun and educational activities for children”. A former employee of Emmanuel runs the bar during parties and weddings celebrated in the large wooded park. And his daughter Lisa, an osteopath for horses, cooks for the guests staying in the drawbridge gite or the four suites of the building.
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