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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château du Parangon, built in the second half of the 17th century in Joinville-le-Pont (then La Branche-du-Pont-de-Saint-Maur), was first an aristocratic residence. Called Maison des Champs, it was designed for the Amelot family, with gardens attributed to Le Nôtre. Acquired by Madame de La Fayette around 1670, it became a place of literary resort where she wrote in part La Princesse de Clèves and received Madame de Sévigné and Boileau.

In the 19th century, the castle was transformed into a private school by Dr Louis-Ferdinand Rousseau in 1857, welcoming up to 320 students. During the Franco-Prussian war of 1870, he served as a field hospital for 200 wounded. In 1902, under the leadership of Henri Rousseau (son of the founder), the establishment became a practical colonial school, training executives for the overseas territories (Indochina, Africa, the West Indies) in agriculture, accounting or sericulture. The Paul Bert Committee placed fellow Indo-Chinese students there.

The 20th century marked a charitable turning point: the castle will successively house an American military hospital during the First World War (1917-1920), a centre for disabled children (1947-1973), and a childhood home (1975-1991). Since then, it has hosted social services of the departmental council of Val-de-Marne. The park, partially public since the 20th century, preserves traces of the gardens of Le Nôtre and has hosted a primary school since 1994. The castle, which was listed as an inventory of historic monuments in 1976, illustrates the evolution of heritage uses, from nobility to social action.

The architecture of the castle, typical of the seventeenth century, includes a two-storey main body and a north wing added after 1810. Its remarkable elements include the 18th century ironworks, the gate on the rue de Paris, and the registered facades. The initial estate also included outbuildings ( stables, greenhouses, aviary) and a park divided between public space and departmental property, where an alley today pays tribute to Aimé Césaire.

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