Grancey-le-Château-Neuvelle

Grancey-le-Château occupied a fortified spur in the border country of Burgundy and Champagne. Its castle and settlement were separated by a deep ditch. In 1361 Eudes de Grancey founded a collegiate church within the castle precinct; Pope Urban V confirmed its privileges in 1365. Religious patronage thus formed part of the lordship's physical and institutional centre.

The fortress became entangled in the struggles between the French crown and Burgundy. Guillaume de Châteauvillain, lord of Grancey and a supporter of the French king, plundered Theuley Abbey in 1433. A Burgundian force under Jean de Vergy retaliated, besieging Grancey in 1434. The town surrendered on 15 August after a siege lasting about three months. The castle was dismantled and passed to Guillaume's brother Bernard, who had remained loyal to Burgundy. The episode gave this small lordship a direct part in the shifting allegiances and military reprisals of the fifteenth century.