History
article | Reading time7 min
Discover the château de Maisons, one of the most beautiful mansions built in the first half of the 17th century, ideally situated between the forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and the Seine. François Mansart's masterpiece embodies the transition from Renaissance to classical architecture.
A brand-new castle
Build to suit your wealth
In 1633, René de Longueil (1597-1677), a high-ranking member of the Paris parliament, decided to build a castle worthy of his rank on his family's vast estate at Maisons-sur-Seine (now Maisons-Laffitte).
The "château", a vacation residence, was part of a strategy of social uplift for his family and had to be sufficiently sumptuous to welcome the king, a close neighbor on the other side of the Saint-Germain-en-Laye forest!
© Reproduction Thomas Thibaut / CMN
Selecting an architect
René de Longueil entrusted the construction of the castle to François Mansart (1598 – 1666), a renowned architect who had been working for the nobility since the 1620s.
With considerable resources at his disposal, he designed the plans and elevations of the facades, the layout of the framework, the staircase balusters, the ironwork and the general design of the sculptural compositions, all with the aim of creating a masterpiece of architectural balance.
© Caroline Rose / Centre des monuments nationaux
A park up to the challenge
François Mansart also designed the layout of the vast 500-hectare estate surrounding the "château", which has now disappeared. His guiding principle? Symmetry !
The axial perspective, from the Saint-Germain forest in the north to the territory of Sartrouville in the south beyond the Seine, runs through the elevated castle, framed by a dry moat. The gardens feature vast stables and an orangery. Ponds, fountains, sculptures, ornamental and utility gardens, as well as a hunting forest, complete the composition, whose tulip displays, orange and lemon trees bear witness to the considerable wealth of its owner.
© Benjamin Gavaudo / Centre des monuments nationaux
A popular place, from Louis XIV to Voltaire
As soon as they were completed, the castle and its gardens were visited by Louis XIV and his court. On the day of his first visit, April 20, 1651, the young king was just 13 years old ! He returned twice, in 1662 and 1671.
Celebrated by Charles Perrault as "one of the most beautiful things we have in France", the "château" and its grounds were the scene of grand festivities attended by the royal family.
Later, René de Longueil's descendants embellished the property. Under Claude de Longueil (1668-1715), the castle became a promenade for the court. His son, Jean-René (1699-1731), the fourth Marquis de Maisons, was a great lover of science and literature, and welcomed the young Voltaire as one of his patrons.
© Benjamin Gavaudo / Centre des monuments nationaux
One story, many characters !
The Count of Artois
It was Louis XVI's brother, the future Charles X, who bought the château de Maisons in 1777 for his hunting and entertaining activities.
The Count of Artois (1757-1836) entrusted the embellishment work to François-Joseph Bélanger. The work was never completed: in July 1789, the prince left France and, in 1791, the castle was sealed. It passed through this period of turmoil without any notable damage other than the sale of all its furnishings !
Louis-Joseph Noyal (....-1846) © Reproduction David Bordes - Centre des monuments nationaux
Jean Lannes
In 1804, a military officer close to Napoleon Bonaparte, Marshal Lannes (1769-1809), acquired the property.
Gisors, Lannes' architect of choice, worked to restore and modernize the castle, mainly the right wing. Lannes created a 32-horse stud farm and took over the running of the estate.
After the Marshal's death in the Battle of Essling on May 31, 1809, his widow, the Duchess of Montebello, managed to keep the estate until 1818, when she sold it to Jacques Laffitte.
© Jean-Luc Paillé / Centre des monuments nationaux
Jacques Laffitte
In 1818, banker Jacques Laffitte (1767-1844) chose the château de Maisons as his vacation residence, a fitting tribute to his social success. As a financier and influential politician, Laffitte used this sumptuous setting to organize both social receptions and political meetings.
Threatened with bankruptcy in 1833, he transformed the estate over the long term. He embarked on a major real estate project, selling and subdividing two-thirds of the park. The magnificent stables were demolished and the debris used as building material !
The Laffitte colony prospered, and Maisons-sur-Seine later became Maisons-Laffitte.
©Pascal Lemaitre - Centre des monuments nationaux
Wilhelm Tilman Grommé
The castle's last private owner, Wilhelm Tilman Grommé (1836-1900), bought the estate from insurer Charles-Xavier Thomas de Colmar (1785-1870) in 1877.
Grommé was a Russian painter and lover of art and historical heritage. He was convinced that artists, better than anyone else, could appreciate Mansart's masterpiece, the jewel in his collection.
During the summer of 1882, he invited some of his Finnish painter friends to work freely at the castle. This small colony of Nordic artists contributed to the reputation of the site in Finland.
Grommé donated his art collections to the city of Viborg (then in Finland, now in Russia), leaving it to his heirs to sell the castle. At the turn of the century, a new story begins...
©Pascal Sebah
The story of a rescue
A life-saving classification
In 1900, Wilhelm Tilman Grommé's succession did not go according to plan.
The castle was threatened with destruction by a property developer. A major local campaign, which gave rise to the société des Amis du château de Maisons in 1909, led the French government to save the property by acquiring it in 1905.
On April 18, 1914, it was listed as a Historical Monument : safe at last !
© David Bordes / Centre des monuments nationaux
1912 : public opening
Under the protection of the musée du Louvre the site opened to the public in 1912, as an annex to the sculpture department.
In July 1914, it became part of the newly-created Caisse nationale des monuments historiques et préhistoriques, forerunner of the Centre des monuments nationaux.
Until the Second World War, the castle underwent various restoration campaigns, was refurnished and hosted exhibitions.
© David Bordes / Centre des monuments nationaux
Discoveries in the park
After the Second World War, the restoration of the castle and its grounds continued.
Between 1955 and 1967, major work was carried out to reconstitute the gardens. Under 15,000 cubic meters of earth, the main features of the historic park were rediscovered: the foundations of the terrace on the Seine side, the staircases, the cool rooms and the fountain !
© David Bordes / Centre des monuments nationaux
And nowadays...
Since September 2016, the 350th anniversary of François Mansart's death, a new campaign to restore the castle and its surroundings has been underway. It covers the main courtyard, including the 18th-century façade, gate and entrance, and includes the redevelopment of the gardens. The "château" is gradually regaining its former glory!
Open to the public all year round, the castle offers a wide range of visits, from fun family discoveries to heritage tours revealing the secrets of over 350 years of history, as well as exhibitions, shows and conferences.
To make sure you don't miss a thing, check out our agenda !
© David Bordes / Centre des monuments nationaux
