Chateau de Sercy - Sercy Castle
Chateau de Sercy is one of the hidden treasures of France. If you do not know exactly where this beautiful medieval palace is then it will be hard for you to accidentally stumble upon it as Castle Sercy is tucked away among the dense forests of Burgundy.
This eastern region of central France offers an incredible beautiful natural scenery of picturesque vineyards, rolling hills, river valleys and medieval palaces that are worth visiting. Castle Sercy stands on a beautiful lake. The castle itself is open for to the public , but the only accessible areas are its external parts.
The front facade of Sercy is small but well maintained and forms the point of observation to the castle and the lake itself.
Construction of the Chateau de Sercy began in the 12th century and continued over the next few years. Until 1470 the palace served as a battle fortress with defensive structures in construction. The castle is named after its original owners, the Sercy family who owned the property from 12th to 16th century, until tragically Philibert Sercy suffered an accidental death during a wedding party in Lyon.
Left without a ruler, castle Sercy remained empty for more than two centuries, during which it fell into disrepair along with its status. During the French Revolution the chateau experienced some glorious days, however, many of its sculptures were destroyed, the furniture was looted and the archives were burned.
The castle underwent major reconstruction for the period between 1811-1815. In 1929 a huge fire destroyed many parts of the castle, but the main structure has now been preserved. Nowadays, the oldest part of the castle can be seen in front of the palace. It is a round tower, called "pigeonnier" - a place for pigeons.
The Northwest Tower is quite impressive and is noted for its wooden structure at the top. Built in the 15th century for defense purposes, this structure is considered one of the oldest and most authentic in France.
Within the castle Sercy you can visit an intriguing Romanesque chapel, which holds many preserved and interesting frescoes, including one sheep lying on a table.
