Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

Château Hesse de Flixecourt, also known as Château de Flixecourt, is a house in the municipality of Flixecourt, in the Somme department, northwest of Amiens. It is the oldest castle still present in the commune, among four historic buildings linked to the local noble families, three of which belonged to the Holy Family. His story dates back to a feudal mansion built in 1598 by Louis de la Marsonnière, acquired in 1775 by François-Hyacinthe de Crocquoison, lord of Flixecourt and king's bodyguard. This feudal castle, which fell into ruins after the French Revolution, was replaced in the early 19th century by a new construction.

The current construction began around 1820 under the impetus of Marie-Auguste de Crocquoison, grandson of François-Hyacinthe, who erected a neo-classical residence along Rue de Bourdon, as evidenced by the Napoleonic cadastre of 1834. When he died in 1859, his brother Alexandre Hesse inherited the estate and made major changes to it in 1865: elevation of the house, redevelopment of the route to create a park, and addition of neo-Louis XIII elements. He also built commons inspired by circular Templar architectures, including the ring rotunda, intended to house domestics and stables. This mixture of styles and eras gives the castle its present appearance.

The castle consists of two adjoining buildings, reflecting its two phases of construction. The oldest, made of brick and ochre coating, features a doric portico and a neo-classical balcony, as well as the remains of a double iron-to-horse staircase, inspired by Fontainebleau and destroyed during World War II. The brick and stone neo-Louis XIII pavilion has a bowl-window and the initials "HH" on its main door, probably for "Hesse". The rotunda, an iconic element, combines deadly windows and an interior courtyard with stables and domestic housing, designed to preserve the privacy of the estate.

The 11-hectare park, bordered by centuries-old trees, was built in 1865 by Alexandre Hesse. It includes a historic greenhouse now invaded by vegetation and several brick buildings, formerly dedicated to the services of the castle. In 1881 the estate employed five servants (cocker, cook, nurse, maid, gardener), reduced to three in 1911. Since 2017, the castle, bought by Antoine Denis, has been transformed into an event venue, with the construction of an orange shop and the renovation of an old barn in the reception room.

The castle Hessen thus embodies the architectural and social evolution of a Picardy seigneury, from post-revolutionary feudal ruins to its transformation into a contemporary private domain. Its mix of styles, its Templar rotunda and its landscaped park make it a remarkable testimony to the heritage of Hauts-de-France.

External links