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Origin and history

Cruzille Castle, located on a rocky spur in Cruzille (Saône-et-Loire), is a medieval monument of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Its early architecture included a quadrilateral flanked by round towers (tour de Bourgogne, tour du Colombier, tour des Archives), one of which was replaced by a square tower. The western wing and the southwest tower disappeared during the fighting of the late 16th century, while the eastern wing, with its two round towers, still remains today. An alley of centuries-old lime trees once linked the castle to the church, where the seigneurial chapel is located.

The castle was the scene of violent clashes during the Wars of Religion. In 1589, he was attacked by leaguers, who pierced two breaches there before massacred the garrison. Retrieved by the royal troops in 1590, it was again taken by the League in 1592 and finally recovered in 1594. In the 17th century, the family of La Baume restored it and added terraces. During the Revolution, in 1789, rioters destroyed some of the decorations, including the carved balustrade of the staircase.

In the 20th century, the castle became a symbolic place of the Resistance: in 1944, it housed the command post of the secret army for the Saône-et-Loire, led by Claude Rochat (alias Commander Guillaume). A court of the French Forces de l'Intérieur judges nearly 300 cases, leading to 27 executions. After the war, the site was transformed into a medical-educational institution (IME, ITEP) for children in difficulty, a vocation which it retained until today. Ranked a historic monument in 1946, there remains a private property not open to the public.

The castle belonged to several noble families, including the Nantons (XIIIth–XVIth centuries), the Beauffremonts (XVIth century), and the Baume-Montrevels (XVIIth–XVIIIth centuries). These lords, often absent, preferred other residences such as the castle of Nobles or the castle of Sennecey. An ancient representation of the castle, designed in 1845 by the inspector of Rousselot Forests, is preserved at the Macon Academy. The coats of arms of the five noble families who possessed Cruzille illustrate his feudal history.

Architecturally, the castle blends defensive elements (round towers, missing slots) with Renaissance additions (stone staircase, gate in the middle of the hanger). The north-east tower, partially taluted, and north wing, though degraded, preserve traces of this past. The site, surrounded by classified terraces, dominates a landscape of valleys and vineyards, typical of Mâconnais. Its history reflects the political and military tumults of Burgundy, from the wars of Religion to the Second World War.

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