Origin and history
The castle of La Boissière, located in the Yvelines, finds its medieval origins as a fief of the chestnut of Saint-Léger. In the 16th century, it belonged to the Vaultier and then Maillard families, before passing to the Malebranche by marriage in 1715. In 1779 Marie-Catherine de Malebranche married Claude Jacques Le Gras, whose descendants, like Gustave Le Gras (1808-1897), inherited and transformed the estate. The latter rebuilt the castle between 1853 and 1857 in a Louis XIII style, partially retaining the original western wing.
In 1881, financier Charles Blanchard acquired the estate and installed actress Gabrielle Elluin. Four years later, Major Olympia Heriot (1833-1899), heir to an immense fortune, bought the property and expanded to 1200 hectares. He housed war orphans there, and in 1886 opened a military boarding school in the presence of General Boulanger. Married to Cyprienne Dubernet in 1887, he had four children, including Virginia (1890-1932), a water sports enthusiast, and Auguste II (1886-1951), a hero of the First World War. The castle, embellished by a marble staircase signed Georges Tersling, becomes a place of family memory.
At the death of Olympus Heriot, his widow Cyprian, noted for her generosity towards the orphanage (she received the Legion of Honor from the hands of Pétain in 1921), perpetuates her legacy. In 1948, their son Olympia II offered the castle to Afpa to become a training centre in horticulture and landscape. Since then, the estate, classified as Historical Monument in 1985 and 1987 for its interiors (ice room, staircase, lounge), welcomes thousands of learners. The park, decorated with statues of Auguste Cain and centuries-old trees, as well as the family mausoleum, bear witness to its rich past.
The present castle, inspired by the Louis XIII style with its red bricks and exposed stones, incorporates older elements such as the west wing. Its interior, although partially moved, preserves remarkable scenery: frescoes by Ferdinand Roybet, open fireplaces, and a library housing collections from the Revue des Deux Mondes. The Maltorne, a river through the park, feeds a pond to the water lilies, while the former stables, destroyed in 1945, recall past equestrian activities, such as the hunt to run organized by Olympus II.
The regional first degree school "Olympe Hériot", founded in 1886 as a military orphanage for troupe children, illustrates the social vocation of the field. Given to the Ministry of War, then enriched by the gifts of Cyprian Douine (Olympe's widow), this institution continues today in an educational form. The castle, open to the public during open days, thus perpetuates the memory of the Heriots while training the new generations in the professions of the landscape.
The family mausoleum, located outside the property, houses a funeral chapel adorned with a marble group carved by Felix Soulès, representing the child Jean Heriot (died at two years) supported by an angel. Behind the altar, a cave illuminated by the sky houses a woman's sculpture surrounded by angels, symbol of mourning and family piety. These elements, combined with the bronze statues of the lioness and her little ones by Auguste Cain (1880), underline the Heriot's attachment to art and commemoration.
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