Château des Bordes, French heritage castle in Urzy, France.

The Château des Bordes stands above the Nièvre valley and the village of Urzy. Its pale stone walls carry dark slate roofs: a cylindrical tower with a tall conical roof and corbelled parapet on one side, a central wing with a steep pyramidal roof and ornate finial, and a round tower with a flat crenellated top. A sculpted stone entrance sits at the base of the central wing, and rectangular windows with light frames and dormers pierce the facade.

A motte overlooking the Nièvre valley is recorded from 1041, when Jehan des Bordes served as chamberlain to King Henry I. The first castle, wooden then stone, was burned between 1430 and 1434 during the Hundred Years' War. In December 1486 Charles VIII authorised his chamberlain Philibert de La Platière to rebuild it with four large towers, moats and drawbridges; between 1540 and 1552 it was converted into a Renaissance residence.

The name Bordes comes from the family that held the fief from the 11th century, when Jehan des Bordes served as chamberlain to King Henry I in 1041. Two coats of arms kept in the castle recall Germaine-Louise d'Ancienville, who gave the building its final appearance. The castle is private and opens only by appointment.

The Château des Bordes is a private property in Urzy, in the Nièvre, and opens only by appointment; visits are not arranged through the local tourist office. Contact the owners directly to agree a date before travelling, as there are no regular opening periods.

The two coats of arms kept at the castle point to Germaine-Louise d'Ancienville, who more than her uncle Louis gave the building its final look: retaining walls, gate, porter's lodge, justice house, gardens and the monumental fireplaces of the state rooms with their wall paintings, finished in 1653.