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Origin and history

The Château d'Avosnes is a former castle in the Côte-d'Or department, in Avosnes, Burgundy-Franche-Comté. Built in the 16th century, it occupies a little defensive site below the village, on a plateau edge overlooking the Ozerain. Its architecture is divided into two distinct areas: a northern complex around the church and a second site to the south, including a lower yard with enclosure buildings.

Given in 1199 to the Order of the Temple by the Abbey of Saint-Seine, the estate then moved to the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem in the 14th century. In 1520 Simon and Denis Potot, farmers of the estate, built the castle without permission, initiating a trial in 1579. Their heirs, accused of looting and attacks on other castles such as Champrenault and Missery, suffered a siege in 1594 by the sieurs of Lux, Tavanes and Blaisy, who destroyed a tower and captured the occupants.

The castle changed hands several times: it was owned by the Boillot families, Guillaume, then Driot from 1725 until 1932. Today, he belongs to the Girval family. Architecturally, the seigneurial house consists of two L-shaped buildings, connected by a round turret housing a spiral staircase. A scallop and square towers recall its defensive past. Since 1971, its facades, roofs and interior stairway have been classified as historical monuments.

The remains of the 16th century include a rectangular one-storey building, pierced with braided openings, and a square tower in the lower courtyard. The square dovecote, located at the southwest corner, completes this set. The castle thus illustrates the transitions between medieval architecture and Renaissance, while bearing traces of the local conflicts of the modern era.

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