En un regard
Le château en bref
Built by Louis XI after his reconquest of Beaune following the death of Duke Charles the Bold in 1477, on former 12th-century ramparts, the fortress of Beaune was extended between 1487 and 1527 by Charles VIII, Louis XII and then Francis I, who added two great towers controlling the roads to Dijon and Seurre - including the Tour Madeleine, dated 1482 and still visible. Around 1606, Henri IV ordered its demolition on the town side to prevent further religious unrest. The present building, dating from the 19th century and roofed with Burgundian glazed tiles, occupies the site of the former fort, of which four towers survive. Since 1872 it has housed the headquarters of the Bouchard Père & Fils wine estate, which farms 130 hectares of vineyards, 12 of them classified as grand cru and 74 as premier cru (Montrachet, Chambertin...), linked by underground cellars running beneath the public road. Listed as a historic monument since 10 September 1937.