Vigneulles-lès-Hattonchâtel. Hattonchâtel: a pearl clinging to its spur

From the terrace converted into a belvedere at the back of the town hall, the view is superb. "From here, you can see the whole of Woëvre, dominated by the Côte de Meuse. Opposite, is the hill of Montsec. We could even see the buildings of Haut du Lièvre in Nancy." Christophe Leblan, deputy mayor of Hattonchâtel, willingly plays geographer to read the landscape that unfolds at our feet. "And we can be seen from very far away!" It's easy to understand why, before the year 1000, the bishops of Verdun chose this promontory to build a fortress that dominated the plain and watched over the road to Metz.

"It was the castle that gave birth to the village. It was regularly reinforced before being dismantled in 1634 by French troops on the orders of Richelieu.

The residence rebuilt on its ruins was in turn largely destroyed, like the rest of the village, by bombings first in 1914 and then in September 1918.

Hattonchâtel could have been one of the many villages of the Reconstruction. An American, Belle Skinner, who wanted to support the Reconstruction, decided to adopt this village and financed its reconstruction. Today, she can be found on almost every street corner: the washhouse, the town hall, the school, and of course the castle have benefited from her undivided attention: rebuilt in a revisited medieval style. Having died prematurely, the philanthropic American would never see the completion of the work in this village where she planned to spend part of the year.

His legacy allowed Hattonchâtel to participate in Stéphane Bern's show, "The Favorite Village of the French," finishing in a very respectable fifth place. A stroll through Hattonchâtel is enough to understand why. The architects, both French and American, following his instructions, created original buildings. While they were long regarded with a touch of condescension, they are now widely photographed. For example, the castle, where the architect reused many old elements to rebuild it, not forgetting to add a barn in a very Norman style. While the gate topped with its battlements seems impassable, today it opens onto a vast esplanade overlooking the plain.

Having joined the "Beaux Villages Lorrains" network, Hattonchâtel is taking great care of its image. All the overhead lines have long since been buried. Gardeners from the commune of Vigneulles, which includes the village of Hattonchâtel, and teams of village volunteers are working to bring its flowers to life. "We are all very attached to this village. Belle Skinner too, who liked to say she felt at home there," explains Christophe Leblan.

On Friday evening, as the Angelus rang, the strollers had deserted the streets of Hattonchâtel. The café-flea market had cleared its tables, and only customers on their way to the château hotel were passing through. Perhaps this is the best time to discover Hattonchâtel…