Historical figure

Abbé Courtépée

abbé · prefect of studies at the collège des Godrans (Dijon)

Claude Courtépée (Saulieu, 1721 – Dijon, 1781) was a Burgundian priest, teacher and historian. His *Description générale et particulière du duché de Bourgogne*, published between 1774 and 1785, surveys the towns, villages, seigneuries and châteaux of the province, based on fieldwork and exchanges with numerous correspondents. For anyone studying Burgundian heritage, it remains a starting point: it contains early descriptions of seigneurial sites, often cited in modern entries, together with the errors and approximations that historians have identified in it. The catalogue links him to the château de Puits (Côte-d'Or) through a description dated 1774, which should be checked in the relevant volume of the work.

Portrait of Abbé Courtépée
Birth23 janvier 1721, Saulieu (Côte-d'Or)
Death11 avril 1781, Dijon
Roleabbé · prefect of studies at the collège des Godrans (Dijon)
Era18th century
History & heritage

A field historian

Trained in law (bachelor's degree at the faculty in Dijon) and then at the seminary, Courtépée was ordained a priest in the diocese of Autun. He headed the collège at Saulieu, is curate of Grésigny, and then teaches in Dijon. His method combined travel, local enquiries and a network of correspondents, which enabled him to gather historical, geographical and topographical information about the province.

Château de PuitsChâteau de Puits
Timeline

Key moments in their life

1721

Born in Saulieu, son of a tanner.

vers 1764

Sub-principal and prefect of classes at the collège des Godrans in Dijon.

1774-1785

Publication of the seven volumes of the *Description générale et particulière du duché de Bourgogne* (the seventh posthumously).

1777

Publication of the *Histoire abrégée du duché de Bourgogne*.

1781

Died in Dijon.

Associated heritage

Castles linked to this figure

1 place
Historical network

Linked personalities

Portrait of Hugues IV de Bourgogne
Hugues IV de BourgogneShared castle→
Explore further

Abbé Courtépée in history

A source for Burgundian heritage

The *Description du duché de Bourgogne*, initially written in collaboration with Edme Béguillet for the first volumes, was republished in 1846–1848 and is still cited as a reference work, despite its errors. It provides early mentions of seigneuries and châteaux, which researchers today cross-check against the archives.

Documentation

Sources for this entry

This summary cross-references several sources to document the places, events and historical relationships.