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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Monthelon, built in the 15th century, is a small, strong house located in the plain of Autun, in Saône-et-Loire. It consists of a rectangular house framed by two round towers projecting on the northeast facade. The main façade, redone by Guy de Rabutin, overlooks a courtyard without defence walls or ditches. A stone staircase leads to two twin doors adorned with a bas-relief depicting the weapons of the Rabutin-Chantal, surrounded by the necklace of Saint-Michel and the motto VIRESCIT VULNERE VIRTUS. A column gallery, added Renaissance, overlooks the first floor.

The chapel, identifiable by its bell tower, is adjacent to the north of the building. The castle, a private property not open to the public, was listed as historical monuments in 1927. His story is marked by figures like Jeanne de Chantal, who lived there after her husband died in 1601. She welcomed St Francis de Sales there before founding the order of the Visitation in Annecy in 1610. The estate then passed into the hands of the Toulongeon and Langheac families, before being sold in the 18th century.

Acquired in 1580 by Guy de Rabutin-Chantal, the castle became a central place for the local nobility. His son, Christophe, married Jeanne-Françoise Frémyot, mother of Jeanne de Chantal. In the 17th century, Françoise de Rabutin-Chantal, granddaughter of Jeanne, inherited from the estate by her marriage to the Count of Toulongeon. After several transmissions, the castle was restored in 1783 by Antoine Chartraire de Montigny, treasurer general of the states of Burgundy, before being sold in 1790. In the 20th century, it belonged to Benoist's family.

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