THE SACRED AND THE PROFANE
Château de Bussy-Rabutin
The
countryside to the west of Dijon in the Burgundy region of Auxois
is a
verdant green land of gently rolling hills where the source of the Seine
river can be found in an underground grotto at Saint-Germain.
There are fewer wineries in the regionn than the north-south routes of
along the Route Grand Crus (see Chateau
Marsannay Burgundy Wine Tour), but it is a beutiful
region dotted with chateaux and historic ruins. A few kilometers
from
the
renowned
Abbey Fontenay
one of the oldest and best preseved of medieval monasteries (see Abbey
Fontenay) near Montbard is the classic formal 16th Century
Chateau of famous libertine author and exile from the court of Louis
XIV,
Roger de Rabutin, Count of Bussy who exposed the more steamy romantic
sides of the French Court in his l'Histoire Amoureuse des Gaules (sort
of The French Love Chronicles).
After
having served a fairly distinguished military carrier the Comte de
Bussy
fell into disgrace for having taken part in a rather large Paris orgy
held inappropriately during Holy Week which caused a great scandal
and
was banished to his home estates. But his tell-all of the exploits of
the Paris Royal Court's prominent madames and mistresses did not endear
him any further with the Sun King and he spent his remaining exile
years
improving the original family chateau where he collected an impressive
gallery of portraits accompanied by notations of his personal view
of
his contemporaries and history figures. The Heraldic room, Men of War
room, Kings Gallery, Gilded Tower and the count’s own bedroom form
the legacy of the most famous libertine of the 17th Century’s “Grand
Siècle”.
Located adjacent to the Roman archeological site of Alesia the Chateau de Bussy-Rabutin is a four towered graceful edifice surrounded by the French style of formal ordered gardens and protected by a surrounding moat. The magnificent interior apartments are decorated with over 200 17th Century paintings with elaborately painted ceilings to rival a mini Versailles.
The Chateau is a French National Monument and open every day except Monday. From Dijon take route N71 to D954. From Paris take the A6 to exit 23 at Semur. Group tours can be arranged in advance. ©Bargain Travel Europe
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SEE ALSO:
CHATEAUNEUF EN AUXOIS
BEAUNE
AND OLD VIRGINS OF BURGUNDY
STONE AND GRAPES: THE CASTLES OF TRENTINO
