Château d'Époisses

The Castle of Epoisses and the Dukes of Burgundy

The Castle of Epoisses and the Dukes of Burgundy

De gauche à droite et de haut en bas : Philippe II Le Hardi, Jean Sans Peur, Philippe III Le Bon, Charles Le Téméraire

At the beginning of the 14th century, the Duke of Burgundy, Eudes IV, greatly appreciated the intelligence and dedication of William II of Mello, then lord of Epoisses. He entrusted him with several important missions, including the reconciliation between him and King Philippe V le Long concerning the succession of King Louis X, the eldest brother of King Philippe V, who died leaving only one daughter, Jeanne de France, herself a niece of … Eudes IV!

Thanks to the address, tact and diplomacy of Guillaume de Mello, everything was arranged by a double marriage to which he attended: the marriage of Duke Eudes IV with Jeanne de France, daughter of King Philippe V and that of the only daughter of the late Louis X with the Count of Evreux. The Duke of Burgundy made several stays at Epoisses and returned to attend the funeral of Guillaume de Mello, marking by this gesture the friendship he had for him.

Duke Philippe Le Hardi could easily accommodate his guests in Dijon in his palaces and the beautiful hotels of the Dijon nobles. Balls, jousts, games followed one another night and day. The pomp of the Duke of Burgundy was famous. As he was always on the roads, rarely sleeping two consecutive nights in the same place, it happened that he wished to honor Epoisses with his visit on January 11, 1377, for dinner and bedtime. The table was to be set in one of the large rooms of the north wing. But with the kitchen in the south wing, a real procession of servants crossed the courtyard with huge meat dishes. In this January, perhaps snowy and certainly icy, one may wonder how we housed in the old fortress this crowd of lords and ladies who always accompanied the duke and duchess.