Château de La Loyère en Saône-et-Loire

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Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de La Loyère, located in the municipality of Fragnes-La Loyère in Saône-et-Loire, occupies a flat land. Its current U-shaped architecture with three houses and square towers dates mainly from the 19th century. The central body, adorned with a three-sided pavilion and a terrace accessible by divergent stairs, dominates an English-speaking park. A southwest tower, flanked by a turret with a lantern, preserves the staircase facing the primitive castle. The left wing houses a dungeon, and it has 54 rooms. Nearby, a forest hosts a recreation centre. The entrance gate, disassembled by the city of Chalon, was replaced on Gauthey Street.

Originally, the seigneury of La Loyère belonged to the Middle Ages at the Abbey of Saint-Pierre de Chalon. In 1580 Jean-Baptiste Beuverand, a member of an anobly bourgeois family, became its owner. In the 17th century, Jean Beuverand de la Loyère, mayor of Chalon, received Louis II de Bourbon, prince of Condé, and planted an oak to celebrate the victory of Rocroi. The castle was then transformed. In 1845, the Viscount Armand de la Loyère gave it its present appearance, before the estate passed into the hands of several owners, including Adolphe Martin in 1888 and the Jeannin-Naltet family in 1920.

In the 20th century, the castle houses a community of Benedictines from 1947 to 1963, before being acquired by the city of Chalon in 1964. It has an aerated centre and organizes cultural and sports activities for young people. Although private property and not open to the visit, the castle remains a significant part of the local heritage, mixing medieval history, Renaissance transformations and 19th century landscaping.

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