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Origin and history

The Château des Boulayes, located in Châtes in Seine-et-Marne, is a remarkable example of French neoclassical architecture. Built in 1785 by architect Nicolas-Claude Girardin, a collaborator of Étienne-Louis Boullée, it was commanded by Claude Bélanger, colonel of the Guards du corps du Roi. This castle replaces an old house surrounded by moat, thus modernising the estate with a fashionable style of the time.

The seigneury of the Boulayes, whose name evokes a place planted with birch trees, once belonged to influential families such as the Maillard in the 16th century or the Marquis de Ségur in the 18th century. Bélanger, thanks to the dowry of his wife Adelaide Catherine Giambone, heir to a rich family of financiers, was able to finance this ambitious project. The construction, rapid (July to December 1785), was inspired by the hotel of Thun de Boullée.

At the Revolution, Bélanger emigrated, and the castle was confiscated and then sold as national property. Its architecture, marked by 42 Corinthian pilasters and a roof initially at the Philibert Delorme, was partially modified in 1912 with the addition of a flat roof to the Italian. Despite these transformations, part of the interior decor, such as the dining room decorated with stoves and statues, was preserved.

The castle has been protected since 1946, with its facades and roofs inscribed in historical monuments. His park has been classified since 1947. Today, it bears witness to the architectural delight of the late 18th century and the history of elites close to the royal court.

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