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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Gemeaux found its origins in the 13th century, when Guillaume de Grancey, vassal of Duke Robert II of Burgundy, obtained in 1282 the right to erect a fortress there. This strategic site, located on the east road of Gemeaux (Côte-d'Or), has since 1433 suffered partial destruction during the conflicts between John IV of Vergy and Guillaume de Châteauvillain. Occupied in 1438 by 700 Scoters, and then gradually abandoned, it is more than a ruined enclosure housing the parish church in 1583. The wars of Religion and the passages of troops (like the Swedes in 1643) ended to degrade it.

In 1682 Jean Mochot, treasurer of France, acquired the ruins and built a new residence at the bottom of the village. Sold in 1711 to Jean-Claude Loppin, a member of the Parliament, the castle was profoundly renovated from 1740 to 1749 by his son, Charles-Catherine Loppin, according to the plans of architect Edmé Verniquet. The gardens are furnished, and the interior decoration enriched, although modified in the 19th century by the family Loppin, owner until 1970. The Revolution saved the castle thanks to the intervention of its owner, who negotiated its safeguard by offering wine from its cellars.

In the 20th century, the castle, at risk, enjoyed a salvific restoration. Ranked a historic monument in 1989, it preserves from its medieval past the prison tower, while the main body, covered with slates and varnished tiles, bears witness to its classical reconstruction. During the First World War (1914-1917), he served as an annex to the military hospital of Is-sur-Tille, hosting 25 beds for the wounded. Today, it embodies the resilience of a heritage marked by eight centuries of history.

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