It was the geographical location of the seigneury of Sedan that prompted the new lord, Evrard II de La Marck, to build a fortified castle in the 1420’s. Wedged between the Meuse river and the Ardennes forest, the strategic location for both France and the Holy Roman Empire allowed the control of commercial traffic on the Meuse. The La Marck, originally from the Rhineland and very wealthy, reigned with the titles of Duke of Bouillon and Sovereign Prince of Sedan. They created a tiny independent state recognised by King Henry II of France in 1549.