--- title: "Château d’Ancy-le-Franc: Visit, Opening Times and History" description: "Designed by Sebastiano Serlio in the 1540s, with painted rooms such as the Galerie de Pharsale. Open late winter to autumn, private driver from Beaune." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-d-ancy-le-franc lang: en updated: 2026-10-01 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/chateaux/chateau-d-ancy-le-franc.png --- # Château d’Ancy-le-Franc > Château d’Ancy-le-Franc: an Italian Renaissance palace in northern Burgundy, designed by Serlio and lined with painted rooms. Château d’Ancy-le-Franc is in Ancy-le-Franc (Yonne), 1 h 29 by road (127 km) from Beaune. Opening hours: 7 February to 15 November, hours vary with the season · Admission: Adults €13, reduced €11 · 16th century · Private driver from Beaune: €325 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. Ancy-le-Franc lies in the north of Burgundy, about 1 hour 45 minutes from Beaune. Designed by the Italian architect Sebastiano Serlio, it is one of the key buildings of the French Renaissance. Its rooms hold what the owners describe as the largest ensemble of Renaissance wall paintings. Privately owned, it opens to visitors for much of the year. ## Key facts - Type: Renaissance château - Location: 100 km north-west of Beaune · Yonne - Coordinates: 47.7728, 4.1576 - 1 h 29 from Beaune - Open to visitors, 7 February to 15 November - 16th century - Commune: Ancy-le-Franc · Yonne - Style: Renaissance - Heritage: Listed historic monument - Official website: [chateau-ancy.com](https://www.chateau-ancy.com/) - From Beaune: ≈ 1 h 29 · 127 km - €325 one way from Beaune with a [private driver](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver) ## Getting there - [Private driver from Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver): 1 h 29 by road (127 km), €325 one way for the whole car. Coming by train or plane? [Transfers from stations and airports](https://www.cote-privee.com/transfers) Estimates per vehicle for up to 4 guests, tolls included. Your price is confirmed when you book. ## History Antoine III de Clermont inherited these lands from his mother, the Countess of Tonnerre, and decided to build a new château. He was the brother-in-law of Diane de Poitiers. At the court of Francis I he met Sebastiano Serlio, an Italian architect of great reputation. Construction began in the 1540s and was probably completed around 1550. In 1576 the architect Jacques Androuet du Cerceau included Ancy among 'the most excellent buildings of France'. The Clermont-Tonnerre family kept Ancy until 1683, when it was bought by the Marquis de Louvois, war minister of Louis XIV. Henri IV, Louis XIII and Louis XIV all visited. In 1845 Louvois's heirs sold the château to Gaspard-Louis-Aimé de Clermont-Tonnerre, a descendant of the builder. It later belonged to the princes of Mérode and several other owners, and today it is owned by a private company. ## Architecture Four wings with corner pavilions enclose a square courtyard. Outside, Serlio used the sober Tuscan and Doric orders. The courtyard is richer, with Corinthian and Composite orders, niches with shell decoration and a triple arcade recalling the Villa Madama in Rome. Inside, murals after designs by Primaticcio or Niccolò dell'Abbate cover rooms such as the Galerie de Pharsale, painted with a long battle scene, and the Chambre de Judith. ## Opening hours and tickets - Opening hours: - 7 February to 3 April: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 17:00 - 4 April to 3 July: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 18:00 - 4 July to 31 August: Monday, 14:00 to 18:00; Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00 - 1 September to 30 October: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 18:00 - 1 to 15 November: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 17:00 - Admission: Adults €13, reduced €11 - Booking: Not needed Last entry is 30 minutes before closing, and guided tours of the upper floor can be requested at the desk. Checked on 1 October 2026 on [the official site](https://www.chateau-ancy.com/fr/horaires/). ## Visiting Visitors tour the painted rooms with an audioguide or on themed guided tours, and walk in the park of about 50 hectares. Family activities are offered. The château opens from February to mid-November and is usually closed on Mondays. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours. Combine with Tanlay or the Château de Nuits nearby. ## Did you know? Three kings of France visited Ancy-le-Franc: Henri IV, Louis XIII and Louis XIV. The Marquis de Louvois, Louis XIV's minister of war, owned it from 1683. ## Around Château d’Ancy-le-Franc What to combine with Château d’Ancy-le-Franc on the same day, nearest first. ### Villages - [Chablis](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/chablis) (27 km away): Burgundy's northern outpost, where Chardonnay grows on fossil-rich limestone above the river Serein. ### Châteaux - [Château de Nuits](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-nuits) (6 km away): An elegant but fortified Renaissance château, built on the old border between Burgundy and Champagne. - [Château de Tanlay](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-tanlay) (10 km away): A moated Renaissance château of the Coligny family, with a trompe-l'œil gallery and a long canal. - [Château de Rochefort](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-rochefort) (10 km away): The ruined residence of Louis XI's physician, being rebuilt stone by stone by a volunteer association. ### Things to do - [Vieux Château de Noyers](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/vieux-chateau-de-noyers) (14 km away): The overgrown ruins of one of Burgundy's great medieval fortresses, on a spur above the Serein, brought back to life by volunteers. - [Noyers-sur-Serein](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/noyers-sur-serein) (15 km away): A walled medieval village in a loop of the Serein, with timber-framed squares and fortified gates. - [Musée des Arts Naïfs et Populaires de Noyers](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/musee-des-arts-naifs-et-populaires-noyers) (15 km away): Naive paintings, ex-votos, tin toys and Hokusai albums on three floors of an old school in the village of Noyers. ### Events - **Saturday 10 – Sunday 11 October 2026 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Venise au Palais](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/venise-au-palais-ancy-le-franc): Venetian carnival costumes parade through a Renaissance palace designed by an Italian architect. (Culture · Ancy-le-Franc) ## Questions about Château d’Ancy-le-Franc ### How far is Château d’Ancy-le-Franc from Beaune? Château d’Ancy-le-Franc is about 1 h 29 from Beaune by road (127 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €325 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### Can you visit Château d’Ancy-le-Franc? Yes, Château d’Ancy-le-Franc welcomes visitors. Opening days and times change with the seasons, so check its official website before you go. ### Can a private driver take us to Château d’Ancy-le-Franc? Yes. Your driver collects you in Beaune or at your hotel in an electric Polestar 2 (up to 4 guests), waits while you visit and plans the rest of the day with you. The driver speaks English, French, Mandarin Chinese and Arabic. → [Private driver from Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver) ## Book - [Book a driver here](https://www.cote-privee.com/book?service=driver&place=chateau:ancylefranc): €325 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests ## Sources - - - - --- Canonical page: