The Serein valley home of Saint Jeanne de Chantal and the Marquise de Sévigné, still lived in today.
€235one way from Beaune with a private driver
Private driver from Beaune: 1 h 07 by road (86 km), €235 one way for the whole car.
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Bourbilly lies in the valley of the Serein near Semur-en-Auxois, about an hour from Beaune. This castle, inhabited since the 14th century, is linked to two famous women: Saint Jeanne de Chantal and her granddaughter, the letter writer Madame de Sévigné. The same family has owned it since 1813 and opens it in summer.
A modest fortress stood here in the early 13th century. Between 1375 and 1379 Marguerite de Beaujeu had the castle rebuilt, including its chapel. In 1467 Jeanne de Montagu brought Bourbilly to her husband, Hugues de Rabutin, and the Rabutin family held it for generations. Jeanne de Chantal, who married into the Rabutin-Chantal family and was later venerated as a saint, lived here. Her son Celse-Bénigne de Rabutin-Chantal was born at Bourbilly.
Celse-Bénigne was the father of the Marquise de Sévigné. She inherited Bourbilly, came here several times, and passed it to her daughter, Madame de Grignan. In 1813 the estate was bought by the family that still owns it. Between 1867 and 1871 Charles de Franqueville restored and redecorated the castle in the Romantic taste. The chapel, damaged by fire in 1952, was then rehabilitated with modern works of art.
The medieval castle was restored and redecorated between 1867 and 1871 in the Romantic taste of the Second Empire. Inside, the library has Gothic-style woodwork and the salon holds a set of nine Venetian glass chandeliers. In the chapel, a series called Paradisus shows portraits of thirty owners of Bourbilly, painted by Edouard de Crépy. The park, crossed by the Serein, was designed by Alphand in 1869.
Outside the summer opening, visits are by appointment only, and payment is by cash or cheque.
Checked on on the official site.
From mid-July to the end of August the park opens in the afternoons, every day except Monday, with guided tours of the rooms and chapel. Outside that period visits are by appointment. Allow about an hour. Bourbilly combines well with Époisses and Semur-en-Auxois. Dogs are not allowed inside the grounds.
What to combine with Château de Bourbilly on the same day, nearest first.
Château de Bourbilly is about 1 h 07 from Beaune by road (86 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €235 for the whole car, up to 4 guests.
Did you know? Bourbilly's park was designed in 1869 by Alphand, the engineer who worked with Baron Haussmann and created Paris parks such as the Buttes-Chaumont and Montsouris.
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€235 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests
