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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The former stables of the Count of Toulouse, located in Rambouillet, were built in the 18th century to meet the needs of the Count of Toulouse, the great vector of France. The latter had the old communes close to the castle enlarged in order to build stables on the ground floor, apartments for officers upstairs, and kitchens in the basement, connected to the castle by an underground passage. These buildings, designed in an asymmetrical style with an orderly elevation, reflected the prestige of the high-vener charge.

In 1784, during the reign of Louis XVI, the stables were built according to an architectural plan marked by a square floor, a high floor and a slate roof. At the beginning of the 19th century, they became an imperial veneration and were then transformed into barracks, known as Caserne des Gardes. An additional building was added in the 19th century west of the courtyard, and the site later housed the Military Preparatory School in Rambouillet between 1875 and 1934.

This monument is an integral part of the Domaine national de Rambouillet, classified as Historic Monuments by Decree No. 2024-472 of 24 May 2024. The interiors, properly classified, bear witness to its evolution, from the initial cynegetic functions to subsequent military use. The location, on the communal Way of the Guards, and its link with the castle underline its historical importance in the organization of the royal then imperial domain.

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