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Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of the Étang was built from 1695 in Marnes-la-Coquette, on the orders of Louis François Marie Le Tellier de Barbezieux, Secretary of State of Louis XIV. The latter had an old castle razed to build a new house, expanding the park by acquiring the seigneury next to La Marche. At his death in 1701, the unfinished work was taken over by Michel Chamillart, then king's chief minister, who made it his residence between Paris, Saint-Cloud and Versailles. The architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart designed an entrance facade with majestic curves and a classic park, with pieces of water, charmilles and groves.

The estate, ideally located near the power centres, hosted important events, such as the marriage of the daughter of Chamillart in 1702. However, his disgrace in 1709 precipitated his fall: forced to leave the court, Chamillart had the castle dismantled in 1710, selling its materials. The estate was then fragmented, a part coming back to the general controller Nicolas Desmarest, while the stables (the castle of La Marche) were acquired by John Law. The buildings of Villeneuve, housing the staff, later became the castle of Villeneuve-l.

With an ephemeral existence (1695–10), the Castle of the Etang illustrates the destiny of aristocratic residences linked to political hazards under Louis XIV. Its park, organised around a large room of water and a pond giving its name to the estate, reflected the art of classical French gardens. Now gone, it remains through 3D renditions and archives, testifying to its fascist past.

The site also housed functional outbuildings, such as greenhouses and staff quarters (Villeneuve), as well as the castle of La Marche, dedicated to stables. These elements, preserved after the destruction of the main castle, evolved into distinct properties. The domain thus embodied both the ministerial power and the art of living in French, before being victim of the political setbacks of its owners.

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