Château d’Auxonne
Louis XI's five-sided fortress guarding a crossing of the Saône at Auxonne.
- Medieval fortress
- 51 min from Beaune
- Private, seen from outside
- 15th century
€175one way from Beaune with a private driver
At a glance
- Commune
- Auxonne · Côte-d'Or
- Style
- Late medieval royal fortress
- Heritage
- Registered historic monument
Getting there
Private driver from Beaune: 51 min by road (59 km), €175 one way for the whole car.
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About the château
Auxonne, on the Saône about 30 km south-east of Dijon, was long a frontier town, and its château shows it. Built from 1479 on the orders of Louis XI after the death of Charles the Bold, this five-sided fortress with massive round towers guarded a key river crossing between Dijon and Dole.
History
After Duke Charles the Bold was killed at Nancy in 1477, Louis XI set out to bring the duchy of Burgundy under the French crown. In 1479 he ordered three fortresses to hold the Burgundians in check, at Dijon, at Beaune and at Auxonne, in the south-west corner of the town walls. The work at Auxonne was entrusted to Vauzy de Saint-Martin, and most of it was finished by 1493.
The treaty of Senlis in 1493 made Auxonne a frontier town facing the Holy Roman Empire, a role it kept until Franche-Comté became French in 1678, and later kings strengthened its defences. Barracks and a governor's house were built in the courtyard in the 16th century, and under Louis XIV Vauban made Auxonne a fortified stronghold. From 1970 to 2012 the great Tour Notre-Dame housed a museum devoted to Bonaparte.
Architecture
The fortress forms a pentagon with a perimeter of about 400 metres, with five corner towers joined by thick curtain walls. The largest, the Tour Notre-Dame, is 20 metres across and 22 metres high, with walls six metres thick at the base. The towers, curtain walls and gatehouse are listed as historic monuments, and the site belongs to the State.
Visiting
Tips for your visit
The château is not open as a museum, but its towers and walls can be seen from the streets of Auxonne near the Saône. The town keeps other parts of its old fortifications, which make a pleasant walk of an hour or so. Auxonne is easily combined with a drive across the Saône plain from Dijon.
Around here
What to combine with Château d’Auxonne on the same day, nearest first.
Questions
Château d’Auxonne is about 51 min from Beaune by road (59 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €175 for the whole car, up to 4 guests.
Did you know? Auxonne's château is one of three fortresses Louis XI ordered in 1479 to control Burgundy, with those of Dijon and Beaune. The Dijon fortress was demolished in the 19th century.
Sources
Château d’Auxonne with a private driver
€175 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests