Billy-sur-Oisy lies eight kilometres west of Clamecy on the Oisy River. The Oisy is a small tributary of the Sauzay, which flows into the Beuvron and, via the Beuvron, into the Yonne. This location provides a clear geographical reference when choosing a destination. The local cultural and landscape themes also appeal to travellers interested in history, water and rural traditions.
Château Musard: Roman Origins and Medieval Expansion
Château Musard lies about 500 metres south of the village. The site was probably built by the Romans to keep watch over a nearby Roman road. Around 1215, Hervé IV de Donzy, Count of Nevers, and his wife Mahaut de Courtenay extended the château to about 200 metres long and 50 metres wide. A 900-metre-long fortified wall and twelve towers surrounded it; only ruins remain today. The Roman origin is a probable interpretation, while the expansion around 1215 is associated with specific builders and dimensions. Thus, an early, uncertain attribution sits alongside a dated medieval extension.
Hill, Spring and Landscape
The 235-metre-high Château Musard hill rises above the Fontaine du Grez, an important spring. Another notable feature of the landscape is the communal forest of Billy-sur-Oisy, which covers 366 hectares. Together with the river and local waterways, these details illustrate different aspects of the landscape: a named spring, a prominent hill and an extensive woodland. The Circuit Château Musard is a walk through a landscape where water is everywhere and numerous washhouses can be seen. Those who wish to explore the landscape and local history together will find it offers a different perspective from the history of the château. Before setting out, it is worth checking the latest route information.
Washhouses and Basketry
One of Billy-sur-Oisy’s three washhouses stands on Place du Pilori. All three washhouses are considered to be in excellent condition. Basketry is also part of the village’s history: from 1652, Billy-sur-Oisy was a centre for this craft for three centuries. The waterways helped create soils suited to growing basket willows. This brings together a long craft tradition and a specific landscape feature: the soils were suitable for basket willows, and the waterways contributed to their formation. For a stay focused on everyday history, this connection offers a different way to explore the area than its medieval fortifications.
Stained-Glass Windows and Altarpiece at Saint-Laurent
The Church of Saint-Laurent in Billy-sur-Oisy has stained-glass windows dating from 1588. It also contains an 18th-century altarpiece, classified as a protected movable object on 21 July 1939; its reference number is PM58000059. The windows and altarpiece therefore date from different periods: 1588 and the 18th century. Together with the probable Roman origins and medieval expansion of Château Musard, they offer several ways to explore the history of the village.
Discover more destinations: Montambert, Saint-Brisson, Marigny-Sur-Yonne, Montigny-Aux-Amognes, Moraches, Saint Saulge, Chantenay-Saint-Imbert, Crux-La-Ville
For the broader travel overview: Nièvre.
