Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Neuville Castle, located in Gambais in the Yvelines, is an emblematic building of the 2nd half of the 16th and 18th centuries. Built between 1570 and 1580 in a Henri III style combining bricks and stones, it is attributed to the architect Jacques Ier Androuet du Cerceau, close to Catherine de Medici and Henri III. Sponsored by Joachim de Bellengreville, Grand Prévost of the Hôtel du Roy under Henri IV, he embodies French Renaissance architecture, with a robust structure and characteristic ornaments of the period.

In 1672, the estate was acquired by Jean-Baptiste Vallot, brother of the Archatre Antoine Vallot, who obtained the erection of a marquisat under the title of Neuville Marquisat. In 1690 François de Nyert, Louis XIV's first valet and governor of Limoges and the Louvre, became owner and made minor modifications. The major transformation took place in 1750 under Catherine de Revol, daughter of Nyert, who profoundly modernized the interior and exterior, giving the castle its current classical appearance, as evidenced by the commemorative plaque above the honour parlour.

The French Revolution marked a dramatic turning point: Clément Charles François de L'Averdy, chief financial officer of Louis XV and owner since 1765, was guillotined in 1793. The castle, sold as a national property, was bought in 1795 by the Marquis de Labriffe, son-in-law of L'Averdy, whose descendants, the families of Labriffe and Jousseaume de La Bretsche, still owned it. After a period of abandonment in the 20th century, especially during German and American occupations, a major restoration was undertaken from 1966. Ranked a historic monument in 1972 for its remarkable facades, roofs and interior elements, the 110-hectare estate, including an 18th-century farmhouse and a wooded park, is now partially open for private events.

The Neuville Castle also served as a setting for many film and television shoots, including Peau d'Âne (1970) by Jacques Demy, where an archaeological excavation in 2015 revealed the location of the hut used in a cult scene. Other productions such as Cyrano de Bergerac (1990) or Ridicule (1996) have been filmed, as well as recent music clips. These media uses demonstrate its aesthetic appeal and exceptional preservation.

The estate consists of a quadrilateral farm built between 1701 and 1702, as well as a pond surrounded by giant rhododendrons, reflecting the landscape of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Always inhabited by the Laabriffe and Jousseaume families, the castle now combines historical heritage and contemporary life, with occasional rentals for weddings, receptions and shootings, thus perpetuating its central role in the region.

Finally, the castle is linked to notable historical figures, such as Édouard de Colbert-Chabanais (1834-1905), a general born in its walls, or Clement de L'Averdy, whose execution in 1793 was associated with accusations of wasting crops in the park. These elements underline its importance in the social and political history of the Île-de-France, from the wars of Religion to the Revolution, through the Enlightenment.

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