Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Marchais, located in the municipality of the same name in the Aisne, finds its origins in the Middle Ages with a first castle probably dating from the first crusade, belonging to the Baron of Eppes. This site became a privileged stage for the kings of France on pilgrimage to Notre-Dame de Liesse, such as Charles VI, Louis XI, and Francis I, who stayed there between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries. The medieval castle, partially ruined, was rebuilt around 1540 by Nicolas de Boussu, Count of Longueval and Superintendent of Finance of François I, in a swampy environment crossed by the Souche River.

In 1553, the estate was acquired by Charles de Lorraine-Guise, cardinal and archbishop of Reims, who welcomed Henry II and his family several times between 1554 and 1559. The Primatice, architect of Lorraine-Guise, then embellished the castle, which became a strategic place for military preparations, as during the siege of Saint-Quentin in 1557. After the death of the cardinal in 1574, the estate passed to his heirs, including Henriette-Catherine de Joyeuse, who received Marie de Medici there in 1602 for a pilgrimage of thanksgiving after the birth of Louis XIII.

In the 18th century, the castle changed hands several times: sold in 1719 to Louis IV Henri de Bourbon-Condé, it was then ceded to his sister Louise Adélaïde de Bourbon-Conti, then to Georges René Binet in 1738, who obtained his erection in Baronia. In 1780, the estate belonged to Elizabeth Josephe de Laborde, widow of Eustache Gérard Binet, before being acquired in 1803 by the banker Médard Desprez. After several transactions, he was finally bought in 1854 by Princess Antoinette of Monaco, wife of Charles III, marking the beginning of his lasting relationship with the princely family.

Under the Grimaldi, the castle of Marchais becomes a resort and reception place for the princely family. Prince Albert I organized hunting and welcomed such personalities as King Charles I of Portugal. In 1906, the estate even served as the basis for Maurice Léger's helicopter trials, marking an incursion into scientific innovation. During the First World War, the castle, occupied by a German headquarters, suffered degradation but escaped destruction. Today, the area of 1,500 hectares, divided between hunting and cultivation, remains the property of the Grimaldi.

Architecturally, the 16th century castle, surrounded by canals and forests, reflects the Renaissance embellishments brought by the Primatic. The park, redesigned in English in the 19th century by Count Delamare, extends around ponds and treed paths, as evidenced by the map of Cassini. The village of Marchais, named after Terra Marconis in the 12th century, owes its name to its marshy environment dried up in the 16th century. The estate, once open to the inhabitants for activities like balls, is now closed to the public to preserve the privacy of the princely family.

External links