Verneuil Castle is located in the town of Charnay-lès-Mâcon, in Saône-et-Loire, a few kilometers west of Mâcon.
Located on flat ground, near the hamlet that gave it its name, it dates mainly from the 15th century, but it is mentioned as the seat of a seigneury from the 11th century. Although the Verneuil line died out in the 15th century, several families were then at the head of the estate until the Revolution.
During the 18th century alone, there are four different owners, including in 1719, a famous actress from the Paris Opera who gave sumptuous parties there.
The castle once surrounded by a moat and which occupied a vast platform was originally composed of a main building, with two wings in return. Only the main body flanked by two round defense towers which are pierced with loopholes now remains.
It is true that the whole was broken up in the 19th century, before being partly restored. Part of the estate thus hosted summer camps and a Red Cross center in the 20th century.
Nowadays, the castle has been bought by a wine estate in the region but is not open to the public. The exteriors of the property can however mark out a walk in this village which has other castles and which has become one of the wine strongholds of the Mâconnais. Information on +33 3 85 34 15 70.
