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Venise au Palais

Venetian carnival costumes parade through a Renaissance palace designed by an Italian architect.

  • Culture
  • Ancy-le-Franc
  • 1 h 29 from Beaune
Confirmed by the organiser

€325one way from Beaune with a private driver

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Château d’Ancy-le-Franc
Photo: Christophe.Finot, CC BY-SA 2.5

At a glance

Location 100 km north-west of Beaune · Yonne
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Entry
Paid or by invitation

Getting there

Private driver from Beaune: 1 h 29 by road (127 km), €325 one way for the whole car.

Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →

About the event

For one weekend a year the Château d'Ancy-le-Franc becomes a Venice in miniature, as performers in sumptuous Venetian carnival costumes parade through its rooms and gardens. After a July edition cut short by a heatwave, the 2026 event has a second weekend in October.

What to expect

Masked and costumed figures glide through the painted galleries and pose in the gardens, with set parades during the day and free wandering in between. The ticket covers the château, its exhibition, the event and the gardens, so the day doubles as a visit to the palace itself.

History

Ancy-le-Franc was designed by the Italian architect Sebastiano Serlio for Antoine III de Clermont and built from the 1540s to around 1550, so Venetian costume suits it well. Its painted rooms are its great treasure, and Henri IV, Louis XIII and Louis XIV all visited.

The costumed weekend is now an annual fixture. In 2025 it was billed as Venise et Vins au Palais, with around fifty costumed performers, and winegrowers and craftspeople were present throughout the weekend.

Good to know

Tips for the day

In 2026 the combined ticket cost 15 euros for adults and 8 euros for children aged 6 to 15, or 5 euros for the parades and gardens only; tickets are valid all day. On 10 October 2026 the château opens at 2 pm. Ancy-le-Franc is about 1 hour 30 minutes from Beaune, and a driver can pair the visit with Tanlay or a tasting in Chablis.

Around here

What to combine with Venise au Palais on the same day, nearest first.

Other events in October 2026 →When to visit →
The full events calendar →
All châteaux →
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Questions

Venise au Palais 2026 takes place in Ancy-le-Franc (Château d’Ancy-le-Franc): Saturday 10 – Sunday 11 October 2026.

Did you know? Antoine III de Clermont met Sebastiano Serlio at the court of Francis I and commissioned him to design Ancy-le-Franc.

Sources

A private driver for the day

No parking to find, no one left as the designated driver: everyone enjoys a glass.

Book a driver for this day