--- title: "Château d’Épinac: History of Nicolas Rolin’s Castle" description: "Nicolas Rolin, who founded the Hospices de Beaune, bought and rebuilt it in 1430. It gave the town its name. Private, seen from outside by private driver." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-d-epinac lang: en updated: 2026-09-29 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/chateaux/chateau-d-epinac.png --- # Château d’Épinac > Château d’Épinac: Nicolas Rolin's castle above the Drée valley, which gave its name to the town of Épinac. Château d’Épinac is in Épinac (Saône-et-Loire), 34 min by road (33 km) from Beaune. Private, seen from outside · 15th century, restored in the 19th and 21st · Private driver from Beaune: €120 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. The Château d'Épinac stands on the tip of a plateau in front of the town, looking over the wide valley of the Drée. Nicolas Rolin, the chancellor who founded the Hospices de Beaune, bought and rebuilt it in the 15th century. Today it is a private house, let as a holiday home. ## Key facts - Type: Medieval fortress - Location: 25 km west of Beaune · Saône-et-Loire - Coordinates: 46.9925, 4.5101 - 34 min from Beaune - Private, seen from outside - 15th century, restored in the 19th and 21st - Commune: Épinac · Saône-et-Loire - Style: Late medieval castle - Official website: [chateaudepinac.com](https://www.chateaudepinac.com) - From Beaune: ≈ 34 min · 33 km - €560 for a [full-day wine tour](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/full-day) from Beaune, up to 4 guests ## Getting there - [Private driver from Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver): 34 min by road (33 km), €120 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 The lordship, first called Monestoy, is recorded in 1209, and a fortified house is mentioned in 1326. In 1430 Nicolas Rolin, chancellor to Duke Philip the Good, bought the estate and carried out major rebuilding, and his descendants kept it for generations. Later the name Épinac replaced Monestoy, and in 1641 the estate passed by inheritance to the Clermont family. In the 1730s Marshal Gaspard de Clermont-Tonnerre, lord of Épinac, began searching for coal here, which led to a glassworks and later to the mines of Épinac. During the Revolution his son was guillotined in 1794, and the estate was confiscated and sold. Two towers were pulled down before the industrialist Samuel Blum bought the remains and stopped the demolition. ## Architecture Two main buildings with very high roofs survive from Rolin's castle, meeting at an angle marked by a small corbelled turret. To the north-west stands a massive square stone tower of four storeys. To the south-east, a square tower set at an angle once guarded the entrance and the drawbridge. A polygonal turret holds the staircase, and part of the outer wall remains beyond the gardens. ## Visiting The castle is private and is not open for visits. It is let as a large holiday house, so you can only see it from outside, from the town and the road below. Épinac is on the way between Beaune and Autun, a short detour from the Château de Sully. ## Did you know? The castle gave its name to the town: the old name of Monestoy was replaced by Épinac, and the coal found on the estate later made Épinac a mining town. ## Around Château d’Épinac What to combine with Château d’Épinac on the same day, nearest first. ### Villages - [Maranges](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/maranges) (14 km away): Three villages on the last slopes of the Côte de Beaune, sharing one appellation for bright, fruity reds. - [Saint-Romain](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/saint-romain) (15 km away): A cliff-ringed village above the Côte de Beaune, known for crisp whites, fresh reds and wide views. - [Saint-Aubin](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/saint-aubin) (16 km away): A valley village just over the hill from Montrachet, where most vineyards are classified premier cru. ### Châteaux - [Château de Sully](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-sully) (3 km away): A moated Renaissance château where Marshal Mac-Mahon was born, still home to his family. - [Château de Morlet](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-morlet) (4 km away): A fortified manor near Épinac with a striking Renaissance gatehouse of 1584. - [Château de Molinot](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-molinot) (6 km away): The last tower of a vanished medieval castle, turned into a dovecote beside a pond. ### Things to do - [Nolay and Its Medieval Market Hall (Nolay et ses halles médiévales)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/nolay-medieval-market-hall), 10 km away: A small medieval market town with a 14th-century hall roofed in heavy Burgundy stone slabs. - [Cirque du Bout du Monde](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/cirque-du-bout-du-monde) (10 km away): A limestone amphitheatre near Nolay, with sheer cliffs, a spring-fed waterfall and falcons overhead. - [Mont de Sène (Hill of the Three Crosses), Mont de Sène (Montagne des Trois Croix)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/mont-de-sene-trois-croix), 15 km away: A 521-metre summit crowned by three crosses, looking over the vineyards of Santenay and the Maranges. ## Questions about Château d’Épinac ### How far is Château d’Épinac from Beaune? Château d’Épinac is about 34 min from Beaune by road (33 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €120 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### Can you visit Château d’Épinac? Château d’Épinac is private and not open to visitors. You can see it from the road or the village, and your driver can stop there on the way. ### Can a private driver take us to Château d’Épinac? 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. → [Full-day wine tour, €560](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/full-day) ## Book - [Book a driver here](https://www.cote-privee.com/book?service=wine-tour&option=full&place=chateau:epinac): Full-day wine tour from Beaune: €560 for the car, up to 4 guests ## Sources - - --- Canonical page: