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The history of Chateau de la Perriere

This came from a talk on “Nettoyage des Fosses” (Cleaning the Foundations) in Etang-sur Arroux, by Jean-Loup Flouest last month. It comes with a health warning – I was stretching my French to the limits. I’m pretty confident everything I’ve written here is accurate, but I’d suggest checking if you’re going to base an essay on it!

The chateau can be visited at any time, although it isn’t yet signposted. Coming from Le Creusot, at the entrance to Etang follow the signs for “La Grotte”, an uninteresting collection of religious statues that is, however, handily marking the chateau site, on the opposite side of the road. It is on an outcrop overlooking the modern village, and there is an information board setting out the main facts.

Here is what it looks like now…

And this is what the experts think it used to look like, while also giving an idea of what remains…

This is very new archaeology – in 2006-2007 trees were cleared from the site, in March this year it was mapped using GPS, and the excavation done over the summer. What it found was a high chateau – basically two towers, one round and one square at the highest points on the site, dated to the 13th century, and a low castle – two octagonal towers on round bases, dated to the 15th century. Abundant pottery was found, mainly from Autun (d’Ornez), and mostly from around the dates of Nicolas Rolin.

Most excitement was about those later towers – being in a chateau a unique example of fine stonemasonery – the conversion from circle to octagon demanding much of the art.

The most famous name associated with the site is Nicholas Rolin, who was granted its possession in 1435. He was the owner of more than 40 chateau in the region – the map looked like an outbreak of measles. Philippe de Bon confiscated the chateau from Gui de Cousan and gave it to Rolin.

The archaeologists have dated the work to the time of Rolin, and say that he made several similar extensions at other chateau. Prestige, or perhaps as Chancellor he was collecting lots of payments in kind – cattle, grain etc, that had to be stored? (My speculation.)

The earliest written record of the site is from the 11th century, but there is more information by 1209, when Herve de Neverstient, bishop of Autun, was holding a “stagnum castrum” – a strong house (but still not a castle) in Etang Sur Arroux. (The sign board at the site suggests that it may also have been occupied in Roman times, based on the evidence of some of the stones that may have been reused in the medieval structures.)

In 1243 there’s a reference to a holding including a land, church and stronghold in the village – suggesting that there might also have been a castle there – the shape of roads around the church is suggestive.

By 1281 the first interesting character is associated with the site Gui de La Perriere (also known as Guides). He “holds a strong house” in the records – the first time the site is identified as a chateau/castle. He seems to have been a lively type – he had been imprisoned in 1253 for “various violent offences” in Autun, before he was forcefully broken out by Jean de Chatillon, chatelein de Glenne.

In 1610 it was held by Montjeau la Toison, but it got caught up in the nasty wars of the time, and in 1676 permission was given to Nicolas Bernard to use stones from it to build a new house in the town.

…somewhere down there. (Photo of Etand-sur-Arroux taken from near the chateau).