A double-walled fortress in the cheese village of Époisses, home to the same family since 1661.
€260one way from Beaune with a private driver
Private driver from Beaune: 1 h 12 by road (96 km), €260 one way for the whole car.
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Époisses is best known for its cheese, but the village also keeps a remarkable castle. Two fortified enclosures, moats and bridges protect a residence that has belonged to the same family since 1661. The outer courtyard, with its village church and great dovecote, can be visited all year, and the rooms open in summer.
Local tradition links Époisses with the 6th century and the Frankish queen Brunehaut. The estate became a lordship in the 12th century under the Montbard family, and the Mello family held it from 1237 to 1421. In 1561 Jacques de Savoie, Duke of Nemours, sold Époisses to the Maréchal de Bourdillon. The tower that still bears his name, the Tour Bourdillon, was restored in his time.
In 1661 Madeleine de La Grange d'Arquien brought Époisses to her husband, Guillaume de Pechpeyrou-Comminges de Guitaut. He received many friends here, among them the Marquise de Sévigné, several of whose famous letters were written to the Guitaut family. During the Revolution, the authorities decided that half of the château should be destroyed. The family kept the rest, and their descendants still own and live in it today.
The castle is ringed by two walls with moats and bridges. The outer enclosure holds outbuildings, the village church and a large dovecote lined with nesting holes. Beyond the inner moat stand the residence and its towers, including a 13th-century keep and the Tour Bourdillon, restored in 1560. The whole ensemble, with its enclosures, moats and bridges, has been a listed monument since 1992.
The times are for the guided tour of the interior, while the grounds and dovecote are open all year from 9:00 to 18:00 (€3).
Checked on on the official site.
The grounds and dovecote are open all year. Guided tours of the interior run in July and August, every day except Tuesday. From April to June and in September and October, they are offered to groups of at least 12 people by booking. Allow about an hour, and leave time for the village cheese shops.
What to combine with Château d’Époisses on the same day, nearest first.
Château d’Époisses is about 1 h 12 from Beaune by road (96 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €260 for the whole car, up to 4 guests.
Did you know? The dovecote at Époisses contains close to 3,000 nesting holes. Before the Revolution, the right to keep a dovecote was a privilege of the lord.
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€260 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests
