Château de Montaigu
The ruined hilltop stronghold of the lords of Montaigu, above the vineyards of Mercurey.
- Medieval fortress
- 32 min from Beaune
- Private, seen from outside
- 12th century
€360for a half-day wine tour plus one hour, from Beaune, up to 4 guests
At a glance
- Commune
- Mercurey · Saône-et-Loire
- Style
- Medieval fortress (ruins)
Getting there
Private driver from Beaune: 32 min by road (31 km), €115 one way for the whole car.
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About the château
On a hilltop between Mercurey and Touches stand the ruins of Montaigu, once one of the great fortresses of medieval Burgundy. A tall fragment of the 12th-century keep and stretches of wall remain. The site is private, but its story is closely tied to the villages and vineyards of Mercurey.
History
Around 950 Lambert, count of Chalon, built a first castle here to guard the Roman road running from Lyon through Chalon towards Autun and Paris. In 1180 the land came under Duke Hugh III of Burgundy, who made it a fief for his second son, Alexander. His descendants, the Bourgogne-Montaigu, were among the most powerful lords of their time, with some fifty vassals.
The Montaigu line died out in 1348 and the lordship was divided. By 1387 Duke Philip the Bold had brought it all back into the ducal domain, and after 1477 it passed to the French crown. League troops took the castle in 1591, and Henri IV had the walls dismantled. From 1803 the ruins were used as a stone quarry for about twenty years.
Architecture
The castle had an oval plan with two rings of walls. The outer wall, about 700 metres long, was thick and crenellated, with ten to twelve towers linked by a wall-walk. The inner wall protected the great hall, two lodgings, a small courtyard with a well, and the keep. The square keep measured almost ten metres a side, and one face still stands nearly fifteen metres high.
Visiting
Tips for your visit
The ruins stand on private land and can only be visited with the owner's permission. There is no regular public opening. Montaigu fits well into a day around Mercurey, which has many tasting rooms, and the nearby church of Touches is also a listed historic monument.
Around here
What to combine with Château de Montaigu on the same day, nearest first.
Questions
Château de Montaigu is about 32 min from Beaune by road (31 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €115 for the whole car, up to 4 guests.
Did you know? After the castle fell into ruin, hermits lived among its walls in the 19th century. One of them was murdered, and the last one fled in 1870 when villagers destroyed his cell.
Sources
Château de Montaigu with a private driver
Half-day wine tour plus one hour from Beaune: €360 for the car, up to 4 guests