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Origin and history

Hennemont Castle, located in Saint-Germain-en-Laye in the Yvelines, is a prominent house built in 1907 for pharmacist Henri Cannone, inventor of Valda pastilles. Its site once housed a medieval priory destroyed in the 14th century by Édouard Plantagenet, known as the Black Prince, during the early Hundred Years War. This eclectic monument, combining neo-Gothic, neo-classical and neo-renaissance styles, was designed by architect Duchampt, a young talent who disappeared at the age of 25 during the First World War.

Between the two wars, the castle belonged to the maharaja Tukojirao Holkar III and his son Yeshwant Rao Holkar II, who organized festivals illuminated by engineer Fernand Jacopozzi. After 1944, he served as headquarters for the Allied Naval Forces (ANCXF) during the Liberation. Since 1951, he has been a member of the Saint-Germain-en-Laye International High School and has become a public property. Its hybrid architecture includes medieval elements such as a fake mâchicoulis, a partial round path with a 180° view, and a staircase inspired by Chambord's.

The two-coloured brick and limestone facade contrasts with the classic sobriety of the north facade overlooking the garden. The neo-Gothic room, probably a private living room, is distinguished by its flamboyant carved wooden fireplace and Florentine medallion. Damaged by the storm of 1999 (the collapse of a chimney on a balcony), the castle was restored in 2014. A siren is tested every first Wednesday of the month.

The site occupies the highest point in the region, between the forests of Mareil-Marly and Saint-Germain-en-Laye. From the round path, the view embraces Mount Valérien, the Eiffel Tower and the Défense district. The castle thus illustrates the architectural eclecticism of the period, while bearing the traces of its turbulent history, from medieval destructions to its strategic role in 1944.

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