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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Villers-sous-Saint-Leu Castle is an elegant 18th-century residence in the municipality of the same name, in the Oise department. This monument illustrates the aristocratic residential architecture of this period, marked by sober lines and a landscape often associated with the manor farms of the region. His history reflects the upheavals of the French Revolution, during which he changed hands under the compulsion of political events.

In 1800, the castle was sold to a Belgian, Jean Jacques Digelman, after belonging to the Duke of Mascrany, forced to separate it. A century later, in 1906, he was acquired by Monsieur Berson, a resident of Villers-sous-Saint-Leu whose descendants still reside in the village. At the same time, the famous sculptor Auguste Rodin showed his interest in what he described as "a superb mansion farm", but the transaction would not succeed. The castle was finally included in the inventory of historical monuments in 1966, recognizing its heritage value.

The castle embodies the social and economic transitions of the region, moving from the hands of the aristocracy to bourgeois and then local owners. Its architecture and history make it a witness to the changes in land ownership and artistic tastes, between rural heritage and residential ambition. Today, it remains a symbol of the heritage of Hauts-de-France, linked to both local history and national figures like Rodin.

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