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Origin and history

The castle of Issy, located in Issy-les-Moulineaux in the Hauts-de-Seine, was mainly owned by the princes of Conti in the 18th century. Built at the end of the 17th century by architect Pierre Bullet for Denis Talon, it was embellished by the Conti, notably with a peristyle façade and remarkable gardens designed by André Le Nôtre. The estate, described as one of the most beautiful in the vicinity of Paris, was a place of feasts and feasts.

Originally, the site was occupied in the 13th century by two properties: the old Château de Villepreux and the Fief de Mérainviller. At the beginning of the seventeenth century, Queen Margot acquired a residence there, which she named the "Little Olympus". After his death in 1615, the estate was sold and divided, before being reunited in 1660 by Macé Bertrand de la Bazinière to form a pleasure house.

In 1681 Denis Talon, king's adviser, bought the estate and entrusted its transformation to Pierre Bullet for the castle and André Le Nôtre for the gardens. When he died in 1698, the castle was bought in 1699 by François Louis de Bourbon, prince of Conti, who carried out important works there, adding a doric facade and a bathhouse for his son. The estate became a prestigious place, described in detail by Dézallier d'Argenville in 1749 for its terraced gardens, fountains and harmonious integration into the landscape.

The castle remained in the Conti family until 1776, when it was sold to Adrien Jules Gaultier Designy, then to the Princess of Chimay in 1782. During the French Revolution, the princess was guillotined in 1793, and the castle, confiscated as national property, began to decline. In the 19th century, it was fragmented and partially transformed: in 1852, it housed a hydrotherapy facility, and was purchased in 1857 by the Central Counter of Credit, which launched a subdivision of the park.

In 1871, during the Paris Commune, the castle was set on fire by the gunners and left in ruins. The remains were partially demolished in 1910 and 1939. Auguste Rodin bought some architectural elements, such as the pediment and the columns, which he brought up to his villa in Meudon between 1907 and 1908. Today, the castle remains only the 18th century entrance chamber, home to a gallery of history, as well as orange, dovecote and a listed fountain.

The park, partly bought by the commune, became the Henri-Barbusse Municipal Park, inaugurated in 1936. This place preserves part of the original landscaping, bearing witness to the legacy of French-style gardens designed by Le Nôtre. The French Museum of the Map to play, installed in the old entrance pavilion, perpetuates the memory of this missing castle.

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