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Origin and history

The Château des Ducs de Bourgogne, located in Châtillon-sur-Seine (Côte-d'Or), is an ancient castle founded in the 10th century. Its remains, classified as historical monuments in 1909, stand on a cliff overlooking the Seine and the city. Near the church of Saint Vorles, it occupied the site of an earlier castrum, already strategic before the 10th century. This site housed a church containing the relics of Saint Vorles as early as 868, later replaced by the present Saint Vorles church. The castrum belonged to the bishops of Langres until 973, when it was shared with the Duke of Burgundy.

In the 12th century, the Duke of Burgundy built a castle partially integrating the ancient castrum, bringing together in the same enclosure the Ducal and Episcopal residences. The monument suffered damage during the conflicts, notably by the English in 1359, and may have been partially rebuilt in the 14th century, as evidenced by traces of recovery on the remains. After the wars of the League, the inhabitants dismantled the castle in 1598, under the permission of King Henry IV. In 1608, the ground floor of the Sainte-Anne Tower served as a guardhouse, and then housed a bread oven in the 19th century.

Today, there are only towers and walls consolidated between 1979 and 1982. To the north, the Gissey tower and remnants of the episcopal enclosure offer a view of the city. To the south, the Saint Anne Tower (ground floor only) and the Guette Tower remain, very damaged. A 19th-century cemetery, including the tomb of Marshal Marmont and funeral chapels, now occupies part of the ruins.

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