Château du Thil en Saône-et-Loire

Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Thil castle came into being around 1300, when the Tartre family, local lords, erected a strong house. This building, located on an isolated motte in Chenôves, is mentioned in letters patent of Charles VIII in 1491, confirming the rights of the Tartre. The strong house suffered extensive damage in 1575 when the Saxon reeds passed, marking a turning point in its military history.

At the beginning of the 17th century, after conflicts of succession, the estate passed to Antoine Mercier, captain of the Château de Montcenis, who completed its transformation into a castle. The works, probably initiated by Moses of Rymon, lord of La Courtine, give the house a rectangular plan flanked by round towers. In 1661, the structure was modernized, incorporating architectural elements such as skylights and conical roofs.

In 1741 Jacques Perrin de Cypierre acquired the castle and added a vaulted cellar, a chapel (dated 1753 by a tile) and a south terrace. His family, including stewards of the generality of Orleans, marked the domain of his coat of arms. After the Revolution, the castle was seized, divided, and gradually replaced from 1845 onwards.

The major restoration took place in 1875 under the impetus of Baron Max Bernard de La Vernette, who entrusted the works to the architect Changarnier. The castle then adopted a square plan with towers with acute conical roofs, and a La Vernette weapons portal was added in 1939. In the 20th century, it passed into the hands of the Dominican Sisters, then of the Association Accueil et Partage, before being bought in 2017 by Daniel Graf, who reopened it to the public.

The current architecture combines medieval remains (archeries, ogival vaults) with classical and neo-Gothic additions. The lower room of the northwest tower, decorated with a flowered vault key and a shield, bears witness to its seigneurial past. The chapel retains a liter with the arms of the Perrin de Cypierre, while the park, built in the early twentieth century, completes the whole.

Private property, the castle does not usually visit, but local events are now organized there. Its history reflects the political and architectural upheavals of Burgundy, from the wars of Religion to the Revolution, including the restorations of the 19th century.

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