Château de Coucy

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The Château de Coucy is a French castle in the commune of Coucy-le-Château-Auffrique, in the département of Aisne, built in the 13th century and renovated by Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th. In April 1917, the German army dynamited the keep and the four towers using 28 tons of explosives to prevent their use by enemy artillery spotters as the Germans fell back in the region. During its heyday, it was famous for the size of its central tower and the pride of its lords, who adopted the staunchly independent rhyme: 'Roi ne suis, ne Prince ne Duc ne Comte aussi; Je suis le sire de Coucy' ('I am not a King, nor Prince nor Duke nor Count; I am the Lord of Coucy'). Coucy was occupied in September 1914 by German troops during World War I. It became a military outpost and was frequented by German dignitaries, including Kaiser Wilhelm II himself. In March 1917 the German army destroyed the keep and the 4 towers. It is not known whether this act had some military purpose or it was merely an act of barbarism. The destruction caused so much public outrage that in April 1917 the ruins were declared 'a memorial to barbarity'. War reparations were used to clear the towers and to consolidate the walls but the ruins of the keep were left in place. Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_de_Coucy #Bubus #castle #Château #Coucy #France