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Origin and history

The castle of Belombre, located in Escolives-Sainte-Camille in Yonne, finds its origins in the sixteenth century as a mansion belonging to the David family, influential in Auxerre. Upon the death of Blanchet David, lieutenant general of Auxerre, the fief passed to his daughter Marie, who brought him in dowry to Jacques de la Ferté-Meung. Their descendants, especially Madeleine de la Ferté-Meung, then passed Belombre to the Bussière family. In 1638, the estate entered into possession of the Girard d'Azy via the marriage of Catherine de la Bussière.

Around 1656, the mansion was sold to François de Chastellux, then in 1670 to Robert Chaponnel, receiver general of the finances of Provence. The latter undertook major works, but died in 1678 without an heir. His widow, Anne Robineau, completed the construction of a new castle on the medieval site, surrounded by moat. At his death in 1687, the estate returned to Pierre Robineau, before being acquired in 1709 by Louis Gayot, who sold it in 1726 to Joseph Le Muet, king's attorney at Auxerre.

In 1761, the chapel of the castle welcomed the marriage of Anne Françoise Elisabeth Le Muet de Belombre with Nicolas Jacques Camusat, the future member of the third state. The estate then moved to the Baudenet d'Annoux family in 1804, following the marriage of Rosalie Le Muet with Jean Baudenet d'Annoux. In the 19th century, Louis-Hugues Baudenet d'Annoux demolished the old château de Chaponnel, fearing the flood of Yonne, and had the present château built around 1870 on vast basements. In 1977 and 1993, Belombre remained in the same family.

Protected elements include facades, roofs, moats, and gardens, as well as remarkable interiors such as the vestibule and its wrought iron staircase. The site, always private, bears witness to the architectural and social evolution of a Burgundy seigneurial estate over more than five centuries.

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