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Origin and history

The Génitoy estate, also known as the Genitoy castle or the Genitois, is a 17th and 18th century building located in Bussy-Saint-Georges, Seine-et-Marne. Originally, it belonged to Christophe de Thou, President of the Parliament of Paris in the 16th century, who probably had him rebuilt. The castle, composed of a house body flanked by two pavilions, measured nearly 60 meters of facade. Its U-shaped commons, its large parterre and its vegetable garden made it a remarkable domain, frequented by figures like Mme de Montespan, who gave birth there in 1672 of a child of Louis XIV.

In the 17th century, the estate passed into the hands of influential families: Guillaume de Bordeaux, intendant of finance, acquired in 1630, then Jacques Sanguin, adviser to the King and captain of hunting, inherited by marriage in 1660. The latter quietly received the royal favourite, Madame de Montespan, accompanied by Madame de Maintenon. The estate remained in the Sanguin de Livry family until 1787, when it moved from an aristocratic residence to an agricultural farm, as evidenced by the Trudaine plan of the 18th century.

In the 19th century, the estate became a report property, purchased by Joseph Fouché in 1802, which built new stables. Later, he passed to the Rothschilds before falling into ruins in the 20th century. Today, the site, partially protected since 1996 for its facades, stables and dovecote-porch, is threatened by a real estate project that risks defiguring its historical hold.

The current remains, photographed in 2020, show disused buildings, although some elements such as the U stables and the pigeon-pig remain. The estate thus illustrates the transformations of a seigneurial residence into a farm and then into ruins, reflecting the social and economic upheavals of the Île-de-France since the seventeenth century.

The castle of Genitoy is an architectural testimony of the fascists of the Old Regime, marked by prestigious owners and discreet but significant events, such as the birth of an illegitimate royal child. Its decline in the twentieth century and contemporary projects raise questions about the preservation of heritage in the face of the growing urbanization of the Paris region.

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