Château de Châteauneuf-en-Auxois

Châteauneuf-en-Auxois

The château of Châteauneuf-en-Auxois was born in 1175 with a first keep raised on a rocky spur watching the road linking the Auxois to the Morvan. Given a chapel in the 13th century, it was strengthened during the Hundred Years' War with a powerful curtain wall with five towers to withstand the Anglo-Burgundian troops. In 1460 the knight Philippe Pot, close counsellor to the Duke of Burgundy and future Seneschal of Burgundy, acquired the fortress and turned it into a seigneurial residence, having his enigmatic motto "Tant L Vault" carved on the fireplace of the great hall — a formula whose exact meaning still intrigues historians and visitors. The chapel preserves 15th-century wall paintings depicting Christ and the apostles. Passed by marriage through several families of the Burgundian nobility, the château was handed over to the French State in 1936 by Count Georges de Vogüé. Today it houses seven 17th-century tapestries recounting the life of Moses and a copy of the tomb effigy of Philippe Pot, the original of which, borne by eight hooded mourners, is kept in the Louvre. The fortified village around it, huddled round its church and its Renaissance houses, is today listed among the Plus Beaux Villages de France.

Getting there : In the village, listed among the Plus Beaux Villages de France, 35 km west of Dijon via the A38 then the D977bis; château open to visitors, parking in the village.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound