Le Tartre – History on the Seille

Le Tartre combines a distinctive local history with the Seille Valley. The historic center developed around a castle overlooking the Seille. Although the castle was destroyed in 1793, its former motte has survived to this day: it measures 12 meters on each side and is 4 meters high. This combination of a destroyed castle and a surviving motte makes the historic connection tangible without suggesting that a complete castle complex has survived. During your stay, this offers two different perspectives: the development of the town around its former seat of power and the landscape along the Seille.

Castle, church and mill

The conversion of a chapel into the village church marks another point in the area’s history. The lords of Le Tartre had the chapel built near the castle; in 1648, it became the village church. Another detail from the church’s history concerns Saint-Michel: the church tower was thatched in 1870. The dates relate to different aspects: 1648 marks the chapel’s conversion, while 1870 refers to the tower’s roof covering at that time. This makes the history of the church and its construction easier to trace through specific changes, rather than linking all the historical details to the castle.

The seigneurial mill also connects the area’s history with the Seille. It stood on a diversion of the river that was about one kilometer long. In 1806, nine mill mechanisms are recorded: four paddle wheels and five scoop wheels. This breakdown makes the mill more than just a name: it provides a specific detail about the technical installation at the time. The Pont de Gommerand dates from 1905 and adds a dated bridge structure to the historical picture.

The Seille Valley as a broader perspective

The Seille Valley offers a broader perspective for understanding the area’s geography. The unit there, upstream of Louhans, stretches from Saint-Usuge to Le Tartre, encompasses six municipalities and covers 1,045 hectares. Le Tartre is therefore part of a valley landscape that extends beyond the town itself: the named endpoints and the number of municipalities describe a broader area than the town center alone. This perspective complements the local history; it does not replace the more specific history of the castle, church and mill.

Les champs de la Seille walking trail

The Les champs de la Seille walking trail starts at Le Tartre town hall, follows the Seille side along the edge of the Sottessard and Jousseau districts, then crosses the plain before returning to the starting point. The route is rated easy and is 5.2 kilometers long. This makes it possible to distinguish the local loop from the broader scale of the Seille Valley unit: the trail describes a single route, while the unit covers six municipalities and 1,045 hectares. The trail’s length and difficulty rating give you two specific details to help you assess the walk; the route description adds its starting point, the districts and the plain.

More destinations

Discover more destinations: Beaurepaire-En-Bresse, Pierreclos, Maltat, Prissé, Montmort, Dracy-Lès-Couches, La Guiche, Saint-Julien-De-Civry.

Back to the main travel overview: Saône-Et-Loire.