Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Pierreclos is located in the town of Saône-et-Loire, in the south of the historical Burgundy, now integrated into the Burgundy-Franche-Comté region. Built at the end of a hill overlooking the valley of the Petite Grosne, it dominates a famous vineyard and is located in the immediate vicinity of the Solutré rock and Cluny Abbey. Its origin probably dates back to the fortification of a pre-existing ecclesial enclosure, as suggested by its configuration and anteriority of a chapel attested from the tenth century. The site, mentioned in Cluny's charters between 887 and 926, is part of the construction movement of churches of the years 980-1040.

The first seigneurial traces date back to the 13th century, when the castle passed into the hands of Berzé's family, then to Guy Chevrier in 1366 before being ceded to Louis de Savoie in 1403. The latter passed it on to Ymbaud de Bletterans, whose family kept it until the middle of the 15th century. The monument then suffered the conflicts of the time: plundering of the Scotchers in 1437, partial destruction by the troops of Louis XI in 1471 during the fight against Charles the Temerary, and ravages of the Wars of Religion in 1562, where Protestants took over Macon and devastated the church of the castle.

In 1665, Jean-Baptiste Michon, king's adviser in Lyon, acquired the estate and undertook important works, marked by his badge affixed to the entrance gate. The Michon family, known for its authoritarianism, was attacked by the peasants during the Great Fear of 1789, where the castle was ransacked three times. Arrested as a suspect under the Terror, Jean-Baptiste Michon saw his property confiscated after his son's death in 1809. The castle then changed hands several times: acquired by the Chaland family in 1829, then by the silky Lyons Darnat in the 20th century, before being restored by the Pidault family from 1989.

Architecturally, the castle consists of a body of main houses flanked by square towers, including a head of a pavilion roof and scaffolds added in the 19th century. The ensemble includes a forecourt accessible by a gate adorned with the coat of arms of the Michon, a staircase with hanging screws, and the remains of a 12th century chapel, reduced to the bell tower and the choir. Ranked a historic monument in 1984 for its remarkable elements (donjon, Gardes room, fireplaces), it now houses a wine estate in organic farming, guest rooms, and reception areas.

The castle illustrates the medieval power struggles in Mâconnais, where the influences of the Counts of Mâcon, the abbeys of Cluny and Tournus, and large seigneurial families such as the Berze or the Rougemonts cross. Its history also reflects the upheavals of the Revolution, with the resistance of the peasants against seigneurial privileges, and the economic transformations of the nineteenth century, marked by Lyon's industrialisation. Integrated with the Route des châteaux in southern Burgundy, it today attracts visitors for its heritage and wine setting.

Future

The castle is a private property. It is open to the public.

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