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Origin and history

The castle of Jouancy, located in the department of Yonne in Burgundy-Franche-Comté, is a building of the 15th and 16th centuries, built in large local stone apparatus. Its main body, flanked by two square pavilions, features traces of rosy geometric decorations and various vaults (cradle, bow-of-cloister, ridges). A circular lava dovecote completes the whole, typical of the seigneurial domains of the time.

The history of the castle dates back to at least the twelfth century, with a mention of a strong house. In 1448, the estate belonged to Bonne de Damas, wife of Jean d'Edouard, whose family kept it until the seventeenth century. In 1563 Nicolas d'Edouard had the building rebuilt by Nicolas Dange de Troyes, as evidenced by an engraved inscription. The construction, completed around 1575, was looted (woodworks, chimneys) in the 20th century before being restored from 1980.

Ranked a Historical Monument in 1967, the castle illustrates the architectural and social evolution of the Burgundy nobility, between the late Middle Ages and Renaissance. Its interior decor, partially extinct, included monumental chimneys and open vaults. The site, fragmented in the 19th century, was saved by restoration works undertaken by a private owner between 1980 and 1997.

The sources also mention a marked seigneurial context: the fief passes from the Counts of Noyers (XIIIth century) to the families of Edouard, Pernes d'Epinac, then Senevoy (XVIIIth century). The castle, today preserved, bears witness to the political and economic transformations of Burgundy, between feudal wars and transition to modern times.

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