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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Lusigny-sur-Ouche, located in the Côte-d'Or department in Burgundy-Franche-Comté, finds its origins in a fortified farm transformed into a seigneurial residence. The date of 1690, engraved above the entrance door, marks the completion of the renovation work led by Bernard de Royer, who inspired the castles of Saint-Micaud and Cormatin to design this new building. This monument thus illustrates the architectural evolution between the Middle Ages and the classical era, combining medieval defenses and baroque aesthetics.

In the 18th century, the castle underwent major changes under the impetus of Guillaume Lazare de Ganay, heir to Nicolas de Ganay, who had acquired it in 1748. The moats were filled, the gardens were renovated, and a neoclassical dome was added above the staircase, reflecting the taste of the era for elegant salons. Ganay's family retained the estate until 1912, before it passed into the hands of Varine-Bohan's family in 1932, which preserved it until today.

Partially classified as historical monuments in 1943 and 1945, the castle houses remarkable elements such as three plaster medallions by Pierre Julien, an 18th-century sculptor. These neoclassical bas-reliefs, representing rural scenes, bear witness to the artistic refinement of the period. The building, always private, embodies almost four centuries of seigneurial and architectural history, between medieval heritage and transformations of the Enlightenment.

The history of the castle is also marked by its successive owners, from Guillaume de Montaigu in 1290 to the families of Vienna, Montet, and Royer. Each hand change accompanied structural or decorative changes, as in 1684 when Bernard de Royer undertook his reconstruction. These historical strata make it a privileged witness to the evolution of local elites and their relationship to power, between declining feudality and emerging modernity.

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