The "big house" - villey-saint-étienne

As an old Maison Forte (big house) at the end of the Middle-ages (XVth century), the Grosse Maison (big house) is a whole well known architectural mostly showing Renaissances features with a magnificient dovecote, mullioned windows and basement cellars on two levels.

A rectangular courtyard with three landscaped gardens giving a superb view on Moselle complete the monument :

A secret garden : the flowerbed, vast rectangular surrounded by high walls

A garden of priest : aged from after the Revolution and whose it still exists from that era the useful nature of the garden with its vegetables, grapevines, fruits, aromatic plants

A school garden since the end of the XXth century.

During centuries, the Grosse Maison became the most important building of the village, step by step « Résidence du prévot » under Jean Raguet- canon of the Cathédrale de Toul chapter (1604) and others canons, nobility belonging, then finally « Bien de la Nation ». Today, it welcomes administrative services of the civic center et many other differents cultural events.

The church of the village is also fortified : windows of opportunity ( end of XIIth century).

Each year, the Grosse Maison welcomes different temporary exhibitions about an artistic topic during summer and opens its gardens and the courtyard during the day.

Possibility to visit for groups all the year by booking at 03 83 64 90 60 or by mail at groupe@tourisme-terrestouloises.com