Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Drée, located in Curbigny en Saône-et-Loire, is built in the 3rd quarter of the 17th century on the site of an old strong house called La Bazolle. Its classic architecture, rectangular with three U-shaped bodies and corner pavilions, reflects the influence of the large castles of the time. The eastern facade, decorated with a pillared porch and a stone balcony, features the arms of the Tournon-Simiane family, while the interior houses a rococo lounge with woodwork and ceilings decorated with trophies and floral garlands. The estate also includes an octagonal dovecote of the seventeenth century, symbol of seigneurial law, transformed into a prison in the eighteenth century, as well as a functional cooler until the Second World War.

The castle changes owners several times over the centuries. Originally built by Anne de La Magdeleine (1620–1623), in 1703 he moved to Catherine de Neufville de Villeroy, then acquired in 1748 by Étienne de Drée, who finished his decoration and erected the land as a marquisate in 1767. In the 19th century, the Countess of Tournon-Simiane became its owner, before the castle was bought in 1995 by Ghislain Prouvost, who undertook important restoration work. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1959, the castle and its French gardens, organized in terraces, are now open to the public as part of the Route des châteaux en Bourgogne du Sud.

The estate was once built for hunting, with a kennel in the moat and a henhouse. The cooler, fed by ice from frozen ponds, kept food all year round. These elements illustrate the aristocratic way of life under the Old Regime, where the castle served as both a seigneurial residence, a symbol of power (through the dovecote and the low justice), and a place of reception. The gardens, labeled Remarkable Garden, perpetuate this landscape heritage, while the commons and entrance pavilions, protected since 1959, complete this coherent architectural ensemble.

Future

The castle of Drée, a princely residence of the Century of Lights, offers a guided tour.

On the programme, about twenty beautifully furnished rooms, including the living room rock with woodwork of the Regency period, the King's bedroom, the Louis XVI living room, the chapel,...

Around the castle you can discover beautiful French gardens.

External links