House of Vergy

The House of Vergy is one of the oldest French noble families, a cadet dynasty related to the 5th century Merovingian Kingdom of Burgundy, attested since the 9th century.

The reputedly impregnable château de Vergy was sited on a rocky spur near Beaune in Burgundy (present-day communes of Reulle-Vergy, L'Étang-Vergy and Curtil-Vergy). The first fort on the site dates to the Roman period. The medieval castle was razed in 1609 and only small traces remain.

The first known lord of Vergy is Guérin (Warin) de Vergy, brother of saint Leodegar. Guérin was stoned around 681 at the foot of the rocky spur at Vergy, shortly after his brother's martyrdom.

The first house of Vergy arose in the 9th century with Warin, or Guérin, I of Vergy(760 – >819), who was count of Chalon and count of Mâcon, then count of Auvergne (818).

In the 12th century Vergy was considered one of the most impregnable fortresses in the kingdom by Louis VII of France. Pope Alexander III took refuge there in 1159. It was during this era that the church of Saint-Saturnin was built, still to be seen today.

With the other Burgundian possessions, Vergy was merged into the royal domains in 1477, on the death of Charles the Bold. The castle was immediately ceded to William IV de Vergy-Autrey by Louis XI. In 1609, following the participation Charles of Lorraine (governor of Burgundy) in the Catholic League from 1589 onwards, Henri IV completely razed the castle. Except for the church of Saint-Saturnin, the burg of Vergy has now entirely disappeared.

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