Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

Gorze Castle, located in the municipality of Germolles-sur-Grosne in Saône-et-Loire, stands on the hillside. Its original architecture, now partially extinct, included a long body of pink and grey granite houses, embellished with still intact corner pavilions. The oak frames of the berries and the cornices, supported by modillons, bear witness to a demanding artisanal know-how, having required the slaughter of an entire forest. To the west, the communes, partially demolished, framed a courtyard accessible by a gate adorned with an armored Berthet shield, dated 1707, with the motto "Who rubs it, spades it". Private property, the estate is not visited and now houses a farm.

The seigneury of Gorze was attested in 1511 under Guillaume de Moles, before moving to the 16th century to Jeanne de Moles, wife of Jean Berthet, notary at Beaujeu. In 1671, Philibert Berthet began the construction of the present castle, according to the plans of Provencal architect Paul de Royers de La Valfenière, known for his work at the Palais Saint-Pierre de Lyon. The seigneury was erected as a marquisat in 1707, bringing together the lands of Nagu, Combes, Germolles and Nay. In the 18th century, Claude-Philibert de la Vernette inherited, before the estate passed, at the end of the 19th century, into the hands of the Count of Villeneuve. Part of the castle was demolished in the early 20th century.

Historical sources mention a gradual transformation of the estate into a farm in modern times. Local archives, including works by Raymond Oursel (1974) and Jean-Louis Burnot (1999), document his architectural and social evolution. The entrance gate, the corner pavilions and the remains of the communes remain the main testimonies of his seigneurial past. Today, the castle illustrates the contrasting destiny of many aristocratic residences, oscillating between historical prestige and adaptation to contemporary needs.

External links