Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Ozenay Castle, located near Tournus in Saône-et-Loire, is an emblematic building of the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. Originally built by the Chacipol family at the end of the 15th century, it presents defensive elements such as square towers and an isolated dovecote. Its architecture combines medieval styles (round tower, old press) and Renaissance (slide with screws, ground bays), reflecting the successive evolutions of its owners, including the Chanay and Barthelot, which expanded and modernized it until the 17th century.

Ranked a historic monument in 1997 for the castle and in 2005 for its outbuildings and gardens, the estate retains rare traces such as apotropaic balls or an exceptionally preserved 15th century press. The house body, elongated and covered with lava, illustrates the architectural austerity of the 17th century, with stripped crosses and a floor-attic with square bays. The interiors are home to 18th-century woodwork with fables from La Fontaine, while the French-style garden, crossed by the Canalized Natouze, has been integrated into the heritage protection for its remarkable state of conservation.

The history of the castle is marked by family alliances and continuous inheritances: from the Chanay to the Chacipol, then to the Barthelot – which held the title of Marquis d'Ozenay until the 19th century – before being passed by adoption to the family of La Barge de Certeau. Major transformations include the elevation of the house in the 16th century by Jean de Chanay, the addition of the south wing and square towers in the 17th century by Claude Barthelot, and interior developments in the 18th century. Despite its status as private property not open to the public, the site bears witness to four centuries of local history, combining defensive, residential and agricultural functions.

The estate is organized around a court of honor planted with lime trees, a mirror of water fed by a historic hydraulic system, and commons in the shape of T sheltering stables and vats. These elements, classified in 2005 with the dovecote and the old orchard, underline the economic and symbolic importance of the castle, formerly the centre of a fief granted by the abbeys of Tournus and Mâcon. Medieval traces, such as the coats of arms of the Chacipol (chequety and cock), coincide with classical additions, illustrating a unique architectural stratigraphy in Burgundy-Franche-Comté.

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