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Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Uxelles, located in Chapaize en Saône-et-Loire, occupied a rocky spur overlooking the region. Its defensive organization consisted of two concentric elliptic speakers. The first, thick 2.65 metres, was equipped with a crenellated round road, a ditch, and four doors, including a main one protected by a drawbridge and a square tower. A Saint George chapel, probably built at the end of the 13th century, was built in the courtyard, while 18th-century communes were backed by walls. The second enclosure, flanked by four towers (including a seven-storey pentagonal and a primitive round dungeon), had partially removed mâchicoulis in the 15th to 16th centuries to give way to houses.

The history of the castle dates back to 928 with Warulfe I of Uxelles, lord and chestnut of Brancion. The fortress was strengthened around 1070 by Bernard I Gros de Brancion to counter the influence of Cluny Abbey, before being sold in 1259 to the Duke of Burgundy by Henry II Gros, ruined after the crusade. The estate then passed into the hands of influential families: the Blanots (from 1263), the Saint-Germains (XIVth century), then the Magniens, who restored the buildings at the end of the 15th century. Philibert Magnien, king's adviser, lived there until 1508, when the castle fell to John of Sercy.

In the 16th century, Petrarch du Blé, lord of Cormatin, undertook major works, including a chimney dated 1567 bearing his motto. The Marquisat d'Uxelles, erected in 1618, was abandoned in the 17th century for the benefit of the castle of Cormatin. In 1812 Charles-Hippolyte de La Chapelle bought the estate and had the medieval ruins razed to build a new rectangular house, marking the final transformation of the site. Today private property, the castle does not visit, but its history reflects feudal rivalries and architectural changes in Burgundy.

The coats of arms of the family owners illustrate their heritage: the Blanots had three ears of wheat, the Magnian two palms backed, and the Du Blé three golden herds on Gules. The site, though profoundly redesigned, retains traces of its strategic past, linked to the power of the Brancion lords and their centuries-old conflict with Cluny. The remains of the enclosures and towers still bear witness to its medieval defensive role.

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