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Origin and history

The Château de Ferrières, located in Seine-et-Marne on the communes of Ferrières-en-Brie and Pontcarré, was built between 1855 and 1859 by architect Joseph Paxton for Baron James de Rothschild. Inspired by the Crystal Palace in London, it features a monumental staircase and technical innovations such as central heating and running water. Its 125 hectare English park, designed by Paxton, is considered one of the most beautiful in France. The estate replaces a former castle belonging to Fouché, Duke of Otrante, minister of Napoleon I, acquired in 1801 on the lands of Intendant Racine du Jonquoy.

During the Franco-German war of 1870, the castle hosted the secret interview between Otto von Bismarck and Jules Favre, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Third Republic. Bismarck settled there and demanded the surrender of Alsace-Lorraine as a condition of peace. The two men's memoirs diverge on the real objectives of this meeting, which remained confidential. This moment marked a turning point in French conflict and diplomacy.

After World War II, the castle, unoccupied until 1959, was loaned in 1945 to the OSE to house children who survived Buchenwald. In 1975 Guy and Marie-Hélène de Rothschild bequeathed him to the chancellery of the universities of Paris, which made him a place of colloquia and study. A legendary costume ball, organized in 1972 for the centenary of Marcel Proust with dresses designed by Yves Saint Laurent, was given there. In 2012, the estate was transferred to the commune of Ferrières-en-Brie.

Since 2015, the castle houses the School Ferrières, dedicated to gastronomy, hospitality and luxury, as well as two restaurants: Le Baron (gastronomic, directed by the Best Worker of France Patrick Juhel) and Le Chai (bistronomic). Ranked a Historic Monument in 2000, the site also served as a setting for films, series (The Tiger Brigades, A French Village) and clips (Mylène Farmer, Beyoncé). Its underground, rehabilitated in 2014, links the castle to its old kitchens, located 60 meters away.

The park, planted with a giant sequoia in 1862 during Napoleon III's visit, extends over an estate adjacent to that of Armainvilliers, formerly owned by the Pereire brothers. Together, this land covers an area equivalent to that of Paris (6,000 hectares). The interior decoration, led by Eugene Lami and other artists like Charles Cordier or Gabriel Thomas, reflects the sumptuous taste of Rothschild, combining art and technology for the time.

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