Château de Vauguillain: Fortified Castle in France
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.5
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- France
- Primary era
- Medieval
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- French
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Castle
On this page7 sections
History
Château de Vauguillain is a fortified castle in Saint-Julien-du-Sault, France, built in the late twelfth century during the medieval period. Rising above the town and the Yonne valley, it served as a residence of the archbishops of Sens, an important medieval archiepiscopal center. The site’s earlier occupation is reflected by a Gallo-Roman stone sarcophagus, found near the former cemetery in 1850 by a winegrower. Gallo-Roman refers to the Roman-period communities of Gaul, the region that largely corresponds to modern France.
Medieval Fortress and Episcopal Residence
The castle belonged to the archbishops of Sens and formed a fortified residence on the height above Saint-Julien-du-Sault. The first governor known from documentary evidence was Symon de Jussemicourt, who was recorded in 1363.
During the fourteenth century, the Hundred Years’ War, a prolonged series of conflicts involving the English and French crowns, affected the fortress. Its enclosing walls were destroyed and rebuilt by local inhabitants. Further rebuilding took place in 1406 and again in 1492. In that same year, Archbishop Tristan de Salazar ordered the construction of outbuildings and stables inside the castle enclosure.
Roads, Vineyards, and Defensive Position
A land and property record from 1521 to 1522 places the castle at the center of roads leading toward Verlin and Précy. Seven houses and a building plot stood immediately around the enclosure. Vineyards surrounded the castle while leaving the view toward approaching attackers open. A slope measuring 70 metres made access to the hamlet of Vauguillain and the town of Saint-Julien difficult.
Dismantling and Changing Names
The castle was dismantled in 1630 under the royal ordinance of 1626 promoted by Cardinal Richelieu. A cardinal is a senior Roman Catholic church official, and Richelieu was also a leading statesman and royal minister under Louis XIII. After the dismantling, the castle was abandoned, while the chapel dedicated to Saint Julien continued to be maintained by villagers until the end of the eighteenth century.
The chapel was first known as the castle chapel. It was later attached to the collegiate church and took the name Saint-Julien, while another established name was the Hermitage Chapel. The castle subsequently became known by the chapel’s name, Vauguillain.
The surviving enclosure remains were entered in the French historic-monument register in 1925, placing them under state heritage protection. The chapel was classified in 1959, a higher level of protection within the French system. The site is also indexed in the Mérimée architectural-heritage database under reference PA00113820.
Remains
Château de Vauguillain occupies a height above Saint-Julien-du-Sault and the Yonne valley. The surviving complex consists of the chapel and sections of the former enclosing walls, which now survive as ruins. Within the enclosure, the medieval castle combined a seigneurial residence, defensive towers, a well, and later service buildings.
Enclosure and Towers
The former enclosure includes a large round tower known as the Tour Baron. This tower was connected to a square tower, forming part of the castle’s defensive structure. Sections of the enclosing walls remain around the site. The chapel and a postern, a small secondary entrance through a fortified wall, appear after reconstruction in a view dating from 1981.
Castle Chapel
The chapel is the surviving building of the castle complex. It stands within the former enclosure and was connected to the seigneurial residence by a doorway. Its successive names, including castle chapel, Saint-Julien chapel, and Hermitage Chapel, reflect its changing relationship with the castle, the collegiate church, and later village religious use.
A well was dug north of the chapel. The enclosure also contained outbuildings and stables added in 1492, while the chapel continued to be maintained after the castle’s dismantling. The surviving chapel and wall sections therefore preserve the relationship between the religious building and the fortified residence.
