Chateau de Boutavent
The Château de Boutavent (private) is one of the key defensive sites in the Clunisois region.
Cluny's considerable land holdings were made up of sites with a wide variety of statuses: the Château de Boutavent (private) is one of the key defensive sites in the Clunisois territory, bearing witness to the abbot's seigneurial prerogatives. Although Cluny and its surrounding lands benefited from an extraordinary legal status that placed them under the authority of Saint Peter and his representative here on earth, the Pope, they were not immune to territorial issues that required the monks to be protected by arms. Boutavent reminds us of this!
Built at the end of a rocky spur, it dominates the Grosne valley, to the north of which it controls access. It was probably built in the first half of the 12th century by the Gros d'Uxelles, Sires of Brancion, on the march of their fiefdom. In 1237, Josserand IV de Brancion ceded the fortress of Boutavent (castrum nostrum de Bonteavant) and its castellany to the Abbey of Cluny. Between the 14th and 16th centuries, the castle was taken several times before being definitively disarmed and reaffirmed as an agricultural estate. In the 18th century, major restoration work was carried out in the countryside, particularly in terms of landscaping. In 1867, the entire estate was acquired by the Count of Audiffred, who modernised it and turned it into a holiday resort.
The château is a private estate and cannot be visited.