Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château du Pin, located in Mérinville in the department of Loiret (region Centre-Val de Loire), finds its first historical records since the 12th century. At that time, Adèle de Champagne, mother of Philippe Auguste and queen of France by marriage with Louis VII, lived there. After the death of Louis VII and until the return of Philip Augustus from the third crusade in 1192, she ruled the kingdom and devoted herself to the foundation of abbeys. It is in this context that Philippe Auguste acquires the Château du Pin from his mother, then located between the abbeys of Ferrières and Rozoy, marking the documented beginnings of the seigneury in the notarial archives.

The present castle was built at the beginning of the seventeenth century on the ruins of the old castle, which became a dependency of the abbey of Ferrières in Gâtinais. It underwent major modernization at the beginning of the 19th century, notably under the impetus of Marshal Sylvain Charles Valée, who acquired it in 1821. With the help of architect Auguste Pellechet, Valée restores the estate and develops a park combining English and French gardens, complemented by a vegetable garden and ponds. Passionate about agriculture and botany, he spends his rare moments of freedom, sometimes welcoming his daughter Adèle Valée.

In the 20th century, the castle changed hands after the Second World War, sheltering German writer August von Kageneck for several years. On sale in 2011, he was bought in 2012 by a direct descendant of Marshal Valée and her husband, who thus preserved the estate in the family. In 2017, they also acquired the private domain of the pine ponds. Since 2023, the castle has integrated the route of the illustrious Loiret, highlighting its historical heritage and its links with notable figures.

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