A short history
Leynes is first mentionned in the year 875, thanks to a Royal Charter by which Charles the Bald, grandson of Charlemagne, gave - among other things- the region of Leynes to the monks of Noirmoutier, who had fled the Norman invasions.
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From that time, Leynes entered the history books. The Abbot of Tournus send monks there to found a priory.
At times, a support base for pillaging lords, several times besieged and set alight, the castle experienced many trials and tribulations.
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In the 13th century, the Jew Jocenius seized the castle and settled there.
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in the 14th century, the castle was fortified to serve as a refuge for villagers against gangs of outlaws.
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Between 1423- 1432, the castle was occupied by the Burgundians and recaptured by the Armagnacs.
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In 1471, the Mâconnais region was invaded by the troops of Louis XI, who set fire to the castle.
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From 1562, the fiefdom of Leynes was bought and sold.
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The 16th century saw the Wars of Religion, and in 1593 the castle was looted by the lord of Nogent.
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For more than a century, the castle remained in a state of ruin.
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In 1708, the castle was returned to the Abbey of Tournus.
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In 1716, the most urgent restoration works were carried out.
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After the Revolution of 1789, the land and the fiefdom sold off in small parcels.
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