The Château de Thil is a ruined mediaeval
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
located to the west of
Dijon
Dijon (, , ) (dated)
* it, Digione
* la, Diviō or
* lmo, Digion is the prefecture of the Côte-d'Or department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in northeastern France. the commune had a population of 156,920.
The earlies ...
in
Burgundy
Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. The c ...
, in the ''
commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
'' of
Vic-sous-Thil in the
Côte-d'Or
Côte-d'Or (; literally, "Golden Slope") is a département in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of Northeastern France. In 2019, it had a population of 534,124.[département
In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level ("territorial collectivity, territorial collectivities"), between the regions of France, admin ...]
'' of France.
The presence of a fortress is known since 1016 from a map of
Flavigny and the occupation of the site continued until the 17th century. Despite being heavily restored during the 20th century, the remains still permit architectural study.
Architecture
Today, the castle appears as an ovoid ''
enceinte
Enceinte (from Latin incinctus: girdled, surrounded) is a French term that refers to the "main defensive enclosure of a fortification". For a castle, this is the main defensive line of wall towers and curtain walls enclosing the position. For ...
'', comprising a ''
reduit
A reduit is a fortified structure such as a citadel or a keep into which the defending troops can retreat when the outer defences are breached. The term is also used to describe an area of a country, which, through a ring of heavy fortifications o ...
'' and a lower courtyard. Building studies have identified different phases of construction from the 13th to the 16th century.
From the 13th century, ruins include the remains of a residence with a storeroom and, probably, a watch tower. A chapel dates from 1085. At the end of the 14th century, the construction of a residence tower and a habitable building redefined the space creating what is now referred to as the ''reduit''. This configuration was maintained in the 15th and 16th centuries with the construction of a new building and the rebuilding of the ''enceinte''. Over the centuries, the site improved its residential qualities while safeguarding its defensive structures.
The castle knew a long period of occupation, which can be traced over at least six centuries. Its high point is linked to Jean de Thil (end of the 14th century) who equipped the site with its most beautiful architectural elements, notably the collegiate church. The castle's chronology must still be refined, but it is possible to refer to it as a major site for Burgundian castral architecture.
The castle is privately owned. It has been listed since 1905 as a ''
monument historique
''Monument historique'' () is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which National Heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a coll ...
'' by the
French Ministry of Culture
The Ministry of Culture (french: Ministère de la Culture) is the ministry of the Government of France in charge of national museums and the . Its goal is to maintain the French identity through the promotion and protection of the arts (visual, ...
.
[
]
See also
* List of castles in France
This is a list of castles in France, arranged by Region and Department.
;Notes:
# The French word ''château'' has a wider meaning than the English ''castle'': it includes architectural entities that are properly called palaces, mansions or vine ...
Bibliography
* Jean Mesqui, ''Châteaux et enceintes de la France médiévale, De la défense à la résidence, vol 1 Les organes de la défense'', 1991 Paris, Picard
* Jean Mesqui, ''Châteaux et enceintes de la France médiévale, De la défense à la résidence, vol 2'', 1991 Paris, Picard
* Hervé Mouillebouche, ''Les maisons fortes en Bourgogne du Nord, du XIIIe au XVIe'', 2000 Dijon, Éditions universitaires
* Georges Thiery, ''Le Château de Thil. Approche archéologique'' 2003, 2 volumes
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thil, Chateau de
Ruined castles in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
Monuments historiques of Côte-d'Or