La Rochepot Castle, a Sleeping Beauty

Vineyards are nearby and cows graze the surrounding pastures. The village stands in the shadow of its proud sentinel perched on a craggy site watching for the return of traditionally numerous visitors starting at Easter and culminating with the Hospices de Beaune wine auction on the third Sunday of November. That changed on October 5, 2018: tipped off by Europol, gendarmes arrested the owner under suspicion of corruption and money laundering. Wanted in his home country of Ukraine, he thought he could escape justice by taking refuge in this historical site. Since then, La Rochepot has been under lock and key, sinking into a deep state of sleep. It will take much more than a kiss to awaken the deteriorating castle and restore its glory. La Rochepot has witnessed a succession of Dukes of Burgundy, a cardinal, a Revolution, a president’s wife and a colonel. In the 14 th century, Burgundy was a prosperous duchy ruled by powerful allies…