Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Dumphlun Castle, located in Billy-Chevannes in Nièvre, has its origins in the 15th century around a tower overlooking the valley of Andarge. It then belonged to the family of Anlezy, mentioned in 1192, and was remodeled in the 18th century under the impulse of the Rémigny, who gave it its present architectural unit. The remains of a medieval fortress, destroyed during the Hundred Years' War (taken by the Armagnacs in 1428, taken over by Perrinet Gressart), remained in the 19th century.

In the 18th century, Jean-Baptiste François Angélique de Rémigny undertook important works, preserving the medieval tower but modernizing the wings and adding a monumental staircase. The estate, including a model farm from the 18th to the 19th century, illustrates the evolution of agricultural techniques (steam mixers, innovative farms). The family of Rémigny, marked by figures such as Luc-Angélique (heros de la Nouvelle-France), owned the castle until the Revolution, when its members were persecuted.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 2021, Dumphlun Castle is distinguished by its square plan, mixing medieval elements (round tower, Anlezy shields) and classics (Le Mansart roof, terraces). The adjoining farm, also listed, was a major agricultural pole of the Nièvre (135 ha cultivated in 1875). Today, the site is being renovated to preserve its biodiversity (bird and bat refuge) and to open it to the public.

The toponym Dumphlun, of Celtic origin (dun = fortress, flun = stream), evokes a site occupied since protohistory, as evidenced by a nearby tumulus excavated in the 19th century (600–550 BC). In the Gallo-Roman era, the region of Amognes housed shrines, including Rouy. The present castle, developed from the 15th century, was also linked to personalities such as Imbert d'Anlezy (veteran of the Italian wars) or the ancestors of Vauban, via Françoise de La Perrière.

During World War II, the castle escaped destruction, unlike that of Playnes, burned by the Nazis. In the 19th century, Parisian owners (Boucher family) made it a summer residence and a laboratory for agricultural innovations. The commons, the courtyard and the terraces, protected in 2021, complete this remarkable set, accessible in summer by appointment.

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