The castle of Ancy-le-Franc between 1844 and 1902 : rediscovery and rewriting of the past. When Anne-Charles, Marquis of Clermont-Montoison, and Gaspard-Louis-Aimé from Clermont-Tonnerre bought the castle of Ancy-le-Franc in 1844, they found a dwelling in which the original Renaissance organisation of spaces had mostly disappeared. The addition of dividing walls and mezzanine floors as well as the setting up of wallpaper or paintings over the very old decorations had largely changed the physiognomy of the building’s interior. The complete restoration of the Chateau Ancy-Lefranc was made between 1844 and 1902. In the mind of Gaspard-Louis-Aimé de Clermont-Tonnerre, it was a matter of regaining the soul of a Renaissance residence, by means of various interventions on decoration, and by getting rid of the quasi-totality of later constructions. However, since he could not completely erase the “outrage of the past”, and in order to live comfortably in this castle, it was necessary to conserve certain old additions like the mezzanines, or to bring some “modern” comfort thanks to the installation of radiators, the restoration for the most part became an interpretation. And it is exactly this 19th century interpretation of the 16th century seen today at Ancy-le-Franc. Besides, the enhancement and the preservation of the painted decoration were not for free. In fact they were to add value to the history of the Clermont-Ton-nerre family. Also the contemporary image of the residence is in reality largely dependent on the scenario that the Clermont-Tonnerre family conceived for itself in the 19th century. To do this, the family knew how to emphasise decorations from the 16th century, which had long been obscured during many decades, and they re-established a historical continuity by means of restorations that contributed to saving this invaluable ensemble.