Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Brochon found its roots in the 14th century, when Philippe le Hardi, Duke of Burgundy, offered a domain to Brochon aux Chartreux. This estate, surrounded by vineyards, was partially acquired in the 17th century by Melchior Jolyot, father of Crebillon, before being enlarged by the Liegeard family in the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1879 Stéphen Liegeard, a writer and politician, bought all the land to build a neo-renaissance castle, inspired by the Loire castles like Azay-le-Rideau or Chenonceau.

The site, launched in 1895 after the phylloxera crisis, had a dual vocation: creating an iconic monument for Brochon and offering work to ruined local wine growers. Architects Leprince and Perreau, as well as landscaper Bühler, collaborated in its construction, completed in 1902. The interior decor, combining Rocaille and Louis XVI styles, was entrusted to renowned artists such as Schanosky, Cesbron and Gasq.

In 1954, after the death of Gaston Liégeard, the state recovered the castle and installed a high school there. Since 1975, its facades and interior decorations have been classified as historical monuments. Today, Stéphen-Liégeard High School continues its educational use, while an association values this Burgundy heritage through summer visits.

The park, designed by Bühler, initially combined rose garden, alpine garden and statues, but was partially remodelled for the needs of the high school. The architecture of the castle, in the shape of L with towers and turrets, uses local stones (Brochon, Comblanchien). The entrance hall, adorned with a carved lion and a Gasq nymph, reflects Liégeard's symbolic ambition.

The estate owes its name to Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon, whose family owned part of the land in the 17th century. The castle, the last large building built in the Gold Coast at that time, embodies both the Burgundy wine heritage and the architectural eclecticism of the late 19th century.

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