Château de Vergy
The hilltop stronghold of the lords of Vergy, razed on the orders of Henri IV.
- Medieval fortress
- 26 min from Beaune
- Park or grounds to visit
- 11th to 16th centuries (razed around 1609)
€290for a half-day wine tour from Beaune, up to 4 guests
At a glance
- Commune
- Reulle-Vergy · Côte-d'Or
- Style
- Medieval fortress (ruins)
Getting there
Private driver from Beaune: 26 min by road (23 km), €100 one way for the whole car.
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About the château
The Butte de Vergy, a narrow rocky ridge in the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, once carried one of the strongest castles in Burgundy. The lords of Vergy held it until 1199, and Henri IV had it demolished in the early 17th century. Today only traces remain, near the medieval church of Saint-Saturnin.
History
The ridge was fortified early. In the early 10th century the local counts founded the abbey of Saint-Vivant on its southern slope, and in 1023 a chapter of canons, Saint-Denis de Vergy, was set up in one of the castle towers. In the 12th century the fortress, with a wall of fourteen towers, was considered one of the hardest in the kingdom to capture.
From 1183 Duke Hugh III of Burgundy besieged his rebellious vassal Hugues de Vergy here for eighteen months without success, until King Philip Augustus made him lift the siege and fined him heavily. Peace came through marriage: in 1199 Alix de Vergy married the duke's son, Odo III, bringing Vergy into the ducal domain. Alix later governed Burgundy as regent for her young son, Hugh IV.
After the death of Charles the Bold in 1477, Louis XI took the castle into the royal domain. During the Wars of Religion it was held by the Catholic League. Henri IV then ordered it dismantled, and the work was done in 1609 and 1610. Its stones were reused in houses in the surrounding villages. The name of Vergy lives on in the villages of Reulle-Vergy, Curtil-Vergy and L'Étang-Vergy around the hill.
Architecture
Almost nothing of the castle stands above ground: fragments of wall, two wells and the base of the tower that carried the apse of the collegiate church of Saint-Denis. Below ground, ruined cellars survive on three levels. The site itself is the attraction: a ridge about 500 metres long and at most 40 metres wide, rising to 510 metres with steep slopes on every side.
Visiting
Tips for your visit
The ridge is reached on foot from Reulle-Vergy, along the path that passes the church of Saint-Saturnin on the northern slope. Allow about an hour for the walk and the views over the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits. Wear good shoes, as the ground is uneven. There are no facilities on the site, and the remains are fragile.
Around here
What to combine with Château de Vergy on the same day, nearest first.
Questions
Château de Vergy is about 26 min from Beaune by road (23 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €100 for the whole car, up to 4 guests.
Did you know? The chapter of Saint-Denis de Vergy, founded inside the castle in 1023, was given the Saint-Georges vineyard, one of the oldest known crus of Nuits-Saint-Georges.
Sources
Château de Vergy with a private driver
Half-day wine tour from Beaune: €290 for the car, up to 4 guests