Château de Monceau
Lamartine's wine château near Mâcon, where he wrote in a small wooden pavilion among the vines.
- Classical château
- 1 h 14 from Beaune
- Park or grounds to visit
- 17th and 18th century
€265one way from Beaune with a private driver
At a glance
- Commune
- Prissé · Saône-et-Loire
- Style
- Classical country house
- Heritage
- Registered historic monument
Getting there
Private driver from Beaune: 1 h 14 by road (99 km), €265 one way for the whole car.
Or add it to our full-day wine tour plus two hours, €700.
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About the château
The château of Monceau stands on a slope at Prissé, just west of Mâcon, among the vineyards of the Mâconnais. It belonged to the Lamartine family, and the poet spent long autumn stays here during the grape harvest. In the vines nearby stands La Solitude, the small pavilion where he wrote.
History
In 1648 Philippe Moisson, who held part of the old castellany of Prissé, built a pavilion here and founded a chapel. The estate then passed to the Albert family, and in 1710 Françoise Albert, widow of Jean-Baptiste de Lamartine, inherited it. The Lamartines transformed the house during the 18th century and created an outdoor salon of greenery in the park.
In 1834 the poet Alphonse de Lamartine inherited Monceau from his aunt and enlarged it. After burying his daughter Julia at Saint-Point, he preferred to live here, receiving friends and political colleagues. In La Solitude, a small pavilion in the vines, he worked on his Voyage en Orient, on Jocelyn and on the History of the Girondins. After his death in 1869 his heir sold the estate to settle his debts.
Architecture
Monceau is a U-shaped ensemble of a main house and two wings, somewhat mixed in style. The oldest part, the central block, has corner pilasters of a giant Doric order framing a double staircase, under tall hipped roofs. Later flat-roofed ranges join it to the old outbuildings and enclose a chapel whose door is crowned by a small broken pediment. A green outdoor salon survives in the park.
Visiting
Tips for your visit
The château belongs to an association and is used in summer as a holiday home for elderly people. Visitors may walk freely in the park and see the chapel. La Solitude can be seen from outside, and its interior opens during the European Heritage Days. The Maison de Lamartine at Milly is a short drive away.
Around here
What to combine with Château de Monceau on the same day, nearest first.
Questions
Château de Monceau is about 1 h 14 from Beaune by road (99 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €265 for the whole car, up to 4 guests.
Did you know? In the time of the poet's grandfather, a small theatre was set up in one wing of Monceau, though its only fitting was a stage that has long since disappeared.
Sources
Château de Monceau with a private driver
€265 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests