Château de Châtillon-sur-Seine, Medieval castle in Châtillon-sur-Seine, France

The Château de Châtillon-sur-Seine, the ruined castle of the Dukes of Burgundy, stands at the end of a high cliff above the Seine and the town, next to the Church of Saint-Vorles. Of the 12th-century fortress, only towers and walls remain, consolidated between 1979 and 1982: the Tour de Gissey to the north, and to the south the ground floor of the Tour Sainte-Anne and the damaged upper part of the Tour de la Guette. A cemetery has occupied the middle of the ruins since at least the 19th century, with the tomb of Marshal Marmont and funeral chapels.

A castrum already occupied the hill before the 10th century, held by the bishops of Langres until 973, when they shared it with the Duke of Burgundy. In the 12th century the duke built the castle within that enclosure, and the English damaged it in 1359. After the Wars of the League, the inhabitants dismantled it under letters patent from Henry IV dated 30 January 1598.

The castle and the bishop's residence shared one ring wall, of which only parts and the Tour de Gissey remain. The Tour de Gissey is fitted out as a viewpoint over the town. Since at least the 19th century a cemetery has occupied the middle of the ruins, holding the tomb of Marshal Marmont and funeral chapels.

The site is accessible via marked paths, and information panels explain the former layout of the fortifications. Sturdy footwear is advisable since the terrain is uneven and the elevated location could pose risks if you slip.

The castle ruins have contained a cemetery since at least the 19th century, and among the graves stands that of Marshal Marmont, a marshal of the First Empire, alongside several funerary chapels. The tomb visible in front of the walls, with its stepped base and inscription, belongs to this burial ground.