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Origin and history

The castle of Salmaise, whose chapel is a central element, was built on a rocky spur protected by ditches. Its origins date back to an abbey foundation: in 1003, Duke Hugues of Burgundy offered his land of Salmaise to Saint-Bénigne Abbey in Dijon. In 1020 Galon, Count of Auxois, bequeathed his property to the local priory, consolidating his link with religious institutions. In the 12th century, successive gifts (like that of Humbert I of Salmaise in 1030) enriched the priory, while a mention in 1123 attested to a mill and serfs associated with the castle.

In the Middle Ages, the castle changed hands frequently, reflecting feudal tensions. In 1305, the baili Hugues du Sauvement demanded his surrender to Duke Robert of Burgundy. The site then passed between the families of Mont-Saint-Jean, Frôlois, and Sauvigny, with notable works in the 14th century: renovation of the Neuve tower (1373), construction of one floor and mâchicoulis (1415-1417), and modifications of the bridge (1408-1409). In 1478, Louis XI offered Salmaise to Philippe de Hochberg for services rendered, before the castle fell into ruins in the seventeenth century.

Castle architecture combines defenses and seigneurial habitat. The house body, flanked by a rectangular tower with crossed windows, dominates a ditch is in arc of circle. The commons, blind to the outside, harbour defensive elements like a gunboat. The Romanesque chapel, originally in the centre of the courtyard, was dismantled and rebuilt between 1987 and 1993. Ranked a historical monument in 1928 with the remains of the castle, it bears witness to the religious and strategic importance of the site.

The gradual abandonment of the castle from 1690 led to its partial destruction. In 1727 it was described as "damaged for more than 100 years," and in 1791 there were only "remnants of old walls". Despite this, the chapel, symbol of the abbate and feudal origins of Salmaise, was preserved as the only tangible trace of this medieval Burgundy past.

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