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Origin and history

The castle of the Caramans, also known as the castle of Roissy, was built from 1704 in Roissy-en-France (Val-d'Oise) for Jean-Antoine de Mesmes, on plans originally attributed to Nicodème Ticino, and then reassigned to Germain Boffrand after archaeological excavations in 1999 and 2003. This classic castle, inspired by Steninge's Swedish model, replaced a medieval building demolished in the late seventeenth century. It was enlarged under the Marquis de Caraman in the 18th century, with regular gardens completed later by English groves.

The castle changed ownership several times: sold in 1719 to John Law, then passed on to President Antoine Portail and his son-in-law Riquet de Caraman. Destroyed in 1794 during the Revolution, today only the eastern wall and the southern door of the orangery, which were integrated into the town hall park. These remains, whose carved decoration is attributed to René Chauveau (1703-1709), have been classified as historical monuments since 1925. A bas-relief with Mesmes weapons, once on the west gable, is now kept in a private property.

The forecourt of the castle was framed by two symmetrical buildings: to the east, the orangery (partly preserved) which served as a dwelling until the twentieth century, and to the west, the stables destroyed in 1835 after sheltering a sugar factory. The park, described by Piganiol de la Force in 1715 as a "beautiful garden and large waterless park", initially blended a regular route with English landscape elements, of which only a few plants remain. The plans engraved by Lerouge bear witness to this.

Archaeological excavations revealed that the castle was built on the foundations of a medieval seigneury belonging to the Mesmes since the sixteenth century. Jean-Jacques de Mesmes, Count of Avaux, bequeathed the estate to his brother Jean-Antoine, who launched the construction in 1704. A 1707 estimate at the National Archives confirmed the involvement of Germain Boffrand, a student of Hardouin-Mansart, permanently excluding the Ticino hypothesis. Current remains, such as the triangular pediment with allegorical bas-reliefs, illustrate the architectural fascist of the early 18th century.

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