Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Berzé-le-Châtel, attested since 991 under the name Castrum Bertiacum, is a medieval fortress erected on a strategic rocky spur of the Mâconnais. Originally, it consists of a wooden dungeon and a Carolingian stone chapel, controlling the Petite-Grosne valley and the roads between Mâcon County, Morvan and Lyon. This site, one of the oldest baronies of the Mâconnais, is held by the family of Berze, vassal of the kings of France, and plays a key role in defending against the Viking and Sarrasin raids, as well as protecting the Abbey of Cluny, the major spiritual center of the Christian West.

In the 13th century, during the reign of Louis IX, the lord Hugues V de Berzé radically changed the fortress thanks to a loan from his relative Étienne de Berzé, future abbot of Cluny. The castle becomes an imposing stronghold, with a 300 m long polygonal enclosure, flanked by fourteen towers, two dungeons, and an entrance chestnut with harrow and drawbridge. These developments make it the main defence fortress of Cluny Abbey at its peak. The site, strategically positioned opposite the Roche de Solutré, dominates the Burgundy vineyard and controls the commercial and military axes between Burgundy, Lyonnais and Morvan.

During the Hundred Years War (1337–1453), the castle was a major issue between the Armagnacs and the Bourguignons. Taken by the Armagnacs in 1420, he was taken over by Philip the Good in 1424, then resisted in 1471 to the troops of Louis XI alongside Charles the Temerary. In the 16th century, during the wars of Religion, he was besieged for two months in 1591 by the troops of the Catholic League led by the Duke of Nevers, before surrendering. The fortress, left abandoned for nearly two centuries, was partially restored in the 19th century by Antonin Gérentet, who made it a romantic residence with French gardens and neo-Gothic openings.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 1983, the castle is now owned by the Thy de Milly family, which operates a wine estate there. Opened on the visit from June to September, it offers an exceptional testimony of the medieval Burgundian military architecture, with elements dating from the 11th, 12th, 14th and 15th centuries, including a square dungeon, a tower of the Revenants, and a 12th century chestnut. The site also served as a setting for film shoots, such as Ridley Scott's Last Duel (2021).

Among the personalities related to the castle, Hugues IV de Berze (XII century), found and crossed, is the author of the Bible to the lord of Barzil, a satirical poem criticizing the morals of his time. Étienne III de Berzé, abbot of Cluny in the 13th century, also marked the history of the place by partially financing its transformation into a strong place. These figures illustrate the cultural and political importance of Berzé-le-Châtel, at the crossroads of feudal, religious and royal powers in Burgundy.

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