Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Talmay consists of two distinct sets: a 13th century Gothic dungeon (1250–1974), built by William II of Champlitte-Pontailler after a conflict with the Abbey of Bèze arbitrated by Pope Innocent IV. This 12-metre square dungeon, 54-metre high, retains original defensive elements (breeks, sled windows, latrines) and a slate roof topped by a bell tower added in the 17th century.

The modern castle, erected between 1761 and 1764 under the direction of the architect Claude-Louis d'Aviler for Pierre II Fijan, adopts a U-shaped plan in classic style. Its yellow stone facades, rhythmized by French windows and skylights, are organized around a central body with carved pediment. The back entrance overlooks a terrace leading to a French garden, reconstructed in the 20th century after archives, and a park of seven hectares structured by arms of the Vingeanne.

The outbuildings, built in the same classic style, include a stable, an orange shop, a mill and a cooler. The park, built in 1753, blends a French-style garden (restored after a transformation into an English garden in the 20th century), an orchard of 280 fruit trees, a box maze and a rounded eight plane trees planted in 1752. The estate, classified as Historic Monument in 1993, was awarded the remarkable Garden label in 2004.

The history of the castle has been marked by some family owners since the 13th century. Guillaume II de Champlitte-Pontailer laid the foundations in the Middle Ages. In the 17th century, the seigneury passed to the Marmier, then to the Fiji (1692–91), which radically transformed the site: Pierre II Fijan preserved the dungeon while at the same time adoring the new home. In the 19th century, the Thénards (owners from 1847 to the 20th century) and their descendants, Bordeaux-Montrieux, restored the original garden.

Among the notable events, the castle was besieged in 1616 by Comtois dissatisfied with the rallying of Cléradius de Marmier to the French monarchy, then spared in 1636 during the plundering of the village by the army of Matthias Gallas. In the 18th century, conflicts with the inhabitants of Talmay (especially under Pierre I Fijan) illustrated seigneurial tensions. The French revolution does not directly affect the field, which remains in the same family line until today.

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