--- title: "Château de Monceau: Lamartine’s Park and La Solitude" description: "Lamartine's wine château near Mâcon, inherited in 1834, where he wrote in La Solitude, a pavilion in the vines. Park and chapel free, by private driver." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-monceau lang: en updated: 2026-09-29 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/chateaux/chateau-de-monceau.png --- # Château de Monceau > Château de Monceau: Lamartine's wine château near Mâcon, where he wrote in a small wooden pavilion among the vines. Château de Monceau is in Prissé (Saône-et-Loire), 1 h 14 by road (99 km) from Beaune. Park or grounds to visit · 17th and 18th century · Private driver from Beaune: €265 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. The château of Monceau stands on a slope at Prissé, just west of Mâcon, among the vineyards of the Mâconnais. It belonged to the Lamartine family, and the poet spent long autumn stays here during the grape harvest. In the vines nearby stands La Solitude, the small pavilion where he wrote. ## Key facts - Type: Classical château - Location: 75 km south of Beaune · Mâconnais - Coordinates: 46.3392, 4.7424 - 1 h 14 from Beaune - Park or grounds to visit - 17th and 18th century - Commune: Prissé · Saône-et-Loire - Style: Classical country house - Heritage: Registered historic monument - From Beaune: ≈ 1 h 14 · 99 km - €265 one way from Beaune with a [private driver](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver) - Or add it to our [full-day wine tour plus two hours, €700](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/full-day). ## Getting there - [Private driver from Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver): 1 h 14 by road (99 km), €265 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 In 1648 Philippe Moisson, who held part of the old castellany of Prissé, built a pavilion here and founded a chapel. The estate then passed to the Albert family, and in 1710 Françoise Albert, widow of Jean-Baptiste de Lamartine, inherited it. The Lamartines transformed the house during the 18th century and created an outdoor salon of greenery in the park. In 1834 the poet Alphonse de Lamartine inherited Monceau from his aunt and enlarged it. After burying his daughter Julia at Saint-Point, he preferred to live here, receiving friends and political colleagues. In La Solitude, a small pavilion in the vines, he worked on his Voyage en Orient, on Jocelyn and on the History of the Girondins. After his death in 1869 his heir sold the estate to settle his debts. ## Architecture Monceau is a U-shaped ensemble of a main house and two wings, somewhat mixed in style. The oldest part, the central block, has corner pilasters of a giant Doric order framing a double staircase, under tall hipped roofs. Later flat-roofed ranges join it to the old outbuildings and enclose a chapel whose door is crowned by a small broken pediment. A green outdoor salon survives in the park. ## Visiting The château belongs to an association and is used in summer as a holiday home for elderly people. Visitors may walk freely in the park and see the chapel. La Solitude can be seen from outside, and its interior opens during the European Heritage Days. The Maison de Lamartine at Milly is a short drive away. ## Did you know? In the time of the poet's grandfather, a small theatre was set up in one wing of Monceau, though its only fitting was a stage that has long since disappeared. ## Around Château de Monceau What to combine with Château de Monceau on the same day, nearest first. ### Villages - [Pouilly-Fuissé](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/pouilly-fuisse) (7 km away): Burgundy's great southern white, grown beneath the limestone cliffs of Solutré and Vergisson. - [Saint-Véran](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/saint-veran) (9 km away): Fresh Chardonnay from villages that wrap around Pouilly-Fuissé, beneath the Roche de Solutré. - [Viré-Clessé](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/vire-clesse) (14 km away): Two neighbouring villages of the Haut-Mâconnais, joined in one appellation for generous Chardonnay. ### Châteaux - [Maison de Lamartine](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/maison-de-lamartine-milly) (4 km away): The childhood home of Alphonse de Lamartine, a winegrowers' house that inspired some of his finest poems. - [Château de Chazoux](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-chazoux) (4 km away): A modest wine estate house near Mâcon that hides richly painted rooms and a landscaped park. - [Château de Pierreclos](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-pierreclos) (4 km away): A medieval castle turned wine estate on a rocky spur near Solutré, full of Lamartine memories. ### Things to do - [Château de la Greffière et Musée de la Vigne et du Vin](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/chateau-de-la-greffiere-musee-de-la-vigne-et-du-vin) (2 km away): A family estate between Mâcon and Cluny, with a museum of 2,000 old tools and an 18th-century tasting cellar. - [Rock of Vergisson (Roche de Vergisson)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/roche-de-vergisson), 3 km away: Solutré's quieter twin, a limestone cliff above the village of Vergisson with views across the vineyards. - [Monks’ Chapel, Berzé-la-Ville (Chapelle des Moines de Berzé-la-Ville)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/chapelle-des-moines-berze-la-ville), 4 km away: A small Romanesque chapel holding the only surviving monumental paintings of Cluny's great age. ### Restaurants - [L’O des Vignes](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/l-o-des-vignes-fuisse) (7 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): A Meilleur Ouvrier de France cooking in the heart of Pouilly-Fuissé. - [La Table de Chaintré](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/la-table-de-chaintre) (9 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): One menu a week, one husband-and-wife team, in a former village grocery near Mâcon. - [La Huchette](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/la-huchette-replonges) (12 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): Bresse produce with a Mediterranean accent, just across the Saône from Mâcon. ## Questions about Château de Monceau ### How far is Château de Monceau from Beaune? Château de Monceau is about 1 h 14 from Beaune by road (99 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €265 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### Can you visit Château de Monceau? Its park or grounds can be visited, while the interior is not usually open. Check its official website before you go. ### Can a private driver take us to Château de Monceau? 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 plus two hours, €700](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/full-day) ## Book - [Book a driver here](https://www.cote-privee.com/book?service=driver&place=chateau:monceau): €265 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests ## Sources - - - --- Canonical page: