The castle of Arnay-le-Duc (also called "former manor of Juilly" or "former castle of the Princes of Condé") is located in the town of Arnay-le-Duc, in the department of Côte-d'Or, 18 km south- west of Pouilly-en-Auxois.
It was built at the beginning of the 16th century on behalf of Charles Merlan de Beaumont, who was also Lord of Juilly and Receiver of Finances. It then passed to the Chabot-Charny family and in 1634 it was acquired by the third Prince of Condé, also Lord of Arnay. This one makes carry out work of installation but resides only punctually in the castle, and his son, the "Grand Condé" (brilliant general under Louis XIX, winner of the Spaniards in Rocroi before being banished from the court during the Fronde), will never stay there…
The building changes owners again afterwards, and even serves a period of prison in 1747. Later, it is given to the city and to the Revolution, a textile factory is there installed. The estate then lost most of its furniture and interior carved decorations. In 1865, this time it was a manufacture of files and tools that moved into the premises and from 1967 to 2019, a professional educational center was housed there. Registered in the Inventory, once again a private property, the castle is not open to the public. On the street side, behind a wrought iron gate dating from the Limerie factory, there is a round tower with a conical roof on this facade at the left corner of the old main building. Mullioned and cross-brace windows as well as Corinthian pilaster dormers with decorated entablature have been preserved.
A polygonal tower with an imperial roof, known as the Marguerite de Bourgogne tower, has also been preserved on the middle level of the eastern façade. It has some 120 steps in two flights and overlooks another courtyard. From its summit, you can enjoy a 360 degree panoramic view. The rest of the buildings are arranged at right angles on two levels.
The exteriors of the castle with its turbulent history and now surrounded by the urban fabric can punctuate a walk in this town on the borders of Morvan and Auxois, also classified as a "green resort". Information on +33 3 80 90 03 44.
