The Château de Thil is a ruined mediaeval
castle
A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...
located to the west of
Dijon
Dijon (, ; ; in Burgundian language (Oïl), Burgundian: ''Digion'') is a city in and the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Côte-d'Or Departments of France, department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region in eas ...
in
Burgundy
Burgundy ( ; ; Burgundian: ''Bregogne'') 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. ...
, in the ''
commune'' of
Vic-sous-Thil
Vic-sous-Thil (, literally ''Vic under Thil'') is a commune in the Côte-d'Or ''département'' in eastern France.
Population
Sights
* Château de Thil, ruined mediaeval castle, listed since 1905 as a historic site by the French Ministry of ...
in the
Côte-d'Or
Côte-d'Or () 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 (, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. There are a total of 101 ...
'' 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'', comprising a ''
reduit'' 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
() 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 collection of buildings, ...
'' by the
French Ministry of Culture
The Ministry of Culture () is the ministry (government department), ministry of the Government of France in charge of List of museums in France, national museums and the . Its goal is to maintain the French identity through the promotion and pro ...
.
[
]
See also
* List of castles in France
This is a list of castles in France, arranged by Regions of France, region and Departments of France, department.
;Notes:
# The French word ''château'' has a wider meaning than the English ''castle'': it includes architectural entities that are p ...
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