Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Montmelas, mentioned in 977, was a stronghold of the Beaujeu sires in the 11th century. Over the centuries, he changed hands: Jeanne de Châteauvillain in 1331, Anne de France (daughter of Louis XI) in 1520, then the Bourbons before being sold to Philibert de Crozet. The seigneury then passed to the Gonzague, then to the Arod de Montmelas, of which François, Marquis, married Marguerite de Cuzieu, and their son Blaise, Marguerite-Catherine Haynault, mistress of Louis XV.

In 1566 Jean Arod acquired the castle at an auction. His descendant, Gaspard de Montmelas, was imprisoned during the Revolution before being released by villagers. The estate then belonged to Louise Hélène de Tournon-Simiane (1829-1899), then to her daughter Louise Hélène Françoise, wife of Jean de Chabannes La Palice. In 1962, Jacqueline de Chabannes The Palice passed the castle to his daughter Françoise, wife of Count Henri d'Harcourt, the current family owner.

Reconstructed in the 13th-XIVth centuries and restored in the 19th century by architect Louis Dupasquier in a neo-Gothic style, the castle preserves elements from the 15th-XVIth centuries, like a cylindrical dungeon and a quadrangular enclosure. Ranked a historic monument in 2000, it also houses a wine estate and offers visits, guest rooms and cultural activities, especially during Heritage Days.

The park and the French gardens, registered with the castle, complete this historic ensemble. The site, always private, bears witness to a continuous occupation since the Middle Ages, mixing military architecture, seigneurial residence and wine-growing. Its name, Montmelas, comes from the Latin mons malatus ("mount loaded with fruit"), evoking its agricultural past.

The coat of arms of the family owners – Beaujeu, Bourbon, Arod, Tournon-Simiane – illustrate its turbulent history. Today, the castle combines heritage preservation and openness to the public, perpetuating a heritage linked to the French nobility and the history of Beaujolais.

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