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Origin and history

The Château de la Couharde, also known as Château de la Couarde, is a building located in La Queue-lez-Yvelines, Île-de-France. Its history begins in the 15th century, when it belongs to the Bréze family, then passes by inheritance to Diane de Poitiers before being given to Madame de Miramion. The latter lends the domain to the fathers of foreign missions, thus marking its temporary religious role.

In the 17th century, the chancellor of Pontchartrain, uncle of Madame de Miramion, undertook important works and entrusted André Le Nôtre, famous architect of the gardens of Louis XIV, with the design of the park. These developments transform the estate into an emblematic place of the classic French style. The castle then changed hands several times before it was acquired at the end of the 19th century by Ernest May, who modernized the premises by removing the moat to create a piece of water.

In the 20th century, the castle was sold by the Lazard family, heiress of Annette May, and fell into disuse before being converted into a clubhouse for a golf course. Despite these transformations, parts of the castle, such as facades, roofs, and interior decorations (woodwork in the living room, dining room, alcove room), have been protected as historical monuments since 1979 and 2001. The estate now extends to the communes of Grosrouvre and La Queue-lez-Yvelines.

The architecture of the castle reflects its multiple periods of construction, with elements dating from the first half of the seventeenth century and the first quarter of the nineteenth century. The identified contractor, Bastard, helped shape this heritage, now owned by a private company. Although partially accessible via the Yvelines golf course, its past state of disrepair bears witness to the challenges of preserving private historical monuments.

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