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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Commanderie of Épailly was founded around 1200 by the Templars in the north of the Côte d'Or, near the present boundary with the Aube. This rural site became a rich self-governing commission despite the proximity of the Bure bailey, thanks to abundant donations, notably those of Milon, Count of Bar-sur-Seine, around 1210. The Commanders of Épailly, such as André de Colours (1213) or Hugues de Pairaud (1280-1284), were major figures of the Order, involved in its management and meetings.

Past to the Hospitallers in 1328 after a dispute with the family of Grandson, the commandary was fortified in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. It retained its temple chapel, its vaulted cellar of the 12th century, and a 15th century tower. The Hospitallers added barns, a dovecote and a wall of enclosure, organizing the estate around a courtyard. The chapel, of imposing dimensions, was classified as a historic monument in 2010.

The site, still farmed, offers a faithful overview of its aspect under the Old Regime. The missing buildings were replaced without fragmentation of the estate, thus preserving its historical unity. His possessions included the seigneuries of Bissey-la-Côte and Beauvoir, as well as tithe rights at Dinteville. Recent work has saved the chapel, a major witness to its templar past.

The archaeological and textual sources reveal a typical organization of the commanderies: a chapel with nef sexpartite, a house rebuilt in the 19th century (on medieval cellars), and remains of fortification. Two Templar brothers, Guillaume de Bissey and Simon de Courban, were received there in 1307 under the preceptor Hugues de Villers. The dispute with Othon de Grandson (1308-1328) illustrates the post-dissolution tensions of the Order of the Temple.

Today, the prefecture of Épailly remains a remarkable example of templar and hospital architecture, where defensive, religious and agricultural elements are mixed. Its ranking and registration (2010) protect a rare medieval heritage, still active and open to study. Jean-Bernard de Vaivre and Jean-Marc Roger's research have highlighted its importance in the history of military orders in Burgundy.

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