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Key figures

Origin and history

The Château d'Igé, located north of the village of Igé in Saône-et-Loire, finds its origins in a conflict documented in 1235: the Abbey of Cluny then opposes the construction of a strong house by the Count of Mâcon, claiming rights on the ground. This strategic site, surrounded by ditches and flanked by round towers, evolves over the centuries into a fortified quadrilateral, of which today only the southern part with three circular towers and remains of the north flank. The archives reveal its role as seigneurial seat for three successive lines: the Lugny (XIIIth–XVIth centuries), the Maugirons, and then the Bletonnière, the latter being expelled in 1789 during a local jacquerie, the Great Fear in Mâconnais, triggered by tensions around access to water.

In the 19th century, the castle underwent partial demolitions (1869) and the destruction of its park, as evidenced by an 1847 drawing describing a property belonging to Mme de Morangis. Divided and sold in lots in 1860, he lost his moat and part of his buildings. In the 20th century, successive restorations (1972, 1990s, 2000) transformed it into a charming hotel, before its acquisition by the Georges Blanc group in 2014. The site, now closed (since 2023), preserves a four-hectare ensave park, with spring, rose garden and centuries-old trees, heritage of its metamorphoses between medieval fortress, seigneurial residence and hotel establishment.

The history of the castle is marked by early legal acts, such as the tribute rendered in 1368 by Geoffroy de Lugny to the Abbey of Cluny for his strong domus, or the feudal division of the 15th century between the coseigneurs Jean and André de Lugny. Social tensions culminated in 1789 when the villagers, led by Claude Pain (executed for his role in looting), ransacked the castle in retaliation for seigneurial abuses. The architectural transformations reflect these changes: filling the ditches, lowering the buildings, and modern reconstructions aimed at combining medieval heritage and contemporary comfort.

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