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Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Igornay, built on the banks of the Arroux in Saône-et-Loire, was a military structure designed to control the passage of the river. Its polygonal plan initially consisted of seven towers, three of which remain today, accompanied by a body of 15th century houses and partially preserved courtines. The southwest tower, prior to the 15th century and marked by a fire, as well as the square tower with brick mâchicoulis, illustrate the architectural evolution of the site. The main entrance to the east was marked by a stone gate, while in the north, a round tower with arches, dusts and latrines carried the weapons of Sercy's family, local lords.

In the 12th century, a seigneurial family was attested to in Igornay, with figures such as Alvis d'Igornay or Guy des Barres. In the 13th century, Hugues d'Igornay appeared in a necrolog of the abbey Saint-Martin d'Autun. In the middle of the 15th century, Guillaume de Sercy, baili of Chalon, undertook important work and moved the parish church outside the castle. At the end of the same century, Guillaume de Villers-la-Faye succeeded him, before the castle was sold in 1541 to Gaspard de Saulx-Tavannes, then integrating the Barony of Sully. In 1757 the parish priest of Igornay described a castle and a church in a swampy plain, accessible by a bridge of boards on the river, also serving as a lock and public road.

Today, Igornay Castle, a private property shared between several families, houses a farm and houses. Although its ditches and some courtesies are still visible, especially in the north where an encroachment reinforces the slope, part of the south walls were cut down to open the courtyard. Ranked among the castles of Saône-et-Loire, there remains a testimony of the feudal and seigneurial history of Burgundy-Franche-Comté, although not accessible to the visit.

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