Thizy Castle

Thizy Castle, locally known as Château de Thizy, lies in the village of the same name in the Yonne department in France.

In origin, Thizy Castle was a built as a priory of the Moutiers-Saint-Jean Abbey around 1139. During the Hundred Years' War the priory, which had become semi-independent in 1331, was undoubtedly taken and pillaged by English troops roaming the Auxois countryside around 1360. It was not until 1368 that the abbots of Moutiers-Saint-Jean obtained permission from Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, to fortify the priory. The old home of the prior was transformed into a keep and although they turned it into a true fortress, they could not prevent it from being attacked and pillaged again in 1375 by English troops.

At the beginning of the 15th century the castle was enlarged to form a roughly square enclosure and opposite the square keep a large round tower was built to form a second keep. Strengthening of the castle continued intermittently throughout the 15th century to answer the threats of different wars. At the end of the 15th century a third tower, square, was added at an angle to a corner of the castle.

In 1568, during the French Wars of Religion, Gaspard de Saulx, Count of Tavannes, entrusted Thizy to Hugues de Vézons, Lord of Annoux, after which Hugues gradually abandoned it. Forces of the Catholic League of France seized the castle in 1589 after which they were driven out by Guillaume de Saulx, son of Gaspard, with the use of artillery in 1594.

After that Thizy Castle belonged to Cardinal Philippe de Lenoncourt, abbot of the Moutiers-Saint-Jean Abbey, who appointed several castellans amongst whom again Hugues de Vézons who finally kept the castle. After 1595 the castle turned into a simple farm, a function it kept until 1729 when it returned under the dependence of the Bishop of Langres.

In 1789, during the French Revolution, the castle was first set on fire after which it was sold as National Property in 1792. By 1825 it was owned and inhabited by the Montarlot family who restored it. In 1919 a descendant of the Montarlot family divided the castle into two distinctive parts; one half was sold and the other part was allowed to fall into disrepair. That dilapidated part was acquired by Michel Roetzer, a stonemason and sculptor, in the late 20th century. He restored his part and turned it into his workshop and residence.

At present the 2 parts of Thizy Castle are still inhabited by its respective owners and thus can not be visited, as far as I know. A nice castle with a different origin.

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