First mention of Prulay's family 1170 (≈ 1170)
Medieval origins of the family estate.
1774
Buy by Pierre-Isaac Poissonnier
Buy by Pierre-Isaac Poissonnier 1774 (≈ 1774)
Neoclassical reconstruction of the castle.
vers 1804
Park development by Berthault
Park development by Berthault vers 1804 (≈ 1804)
Creation of a park in English.
1857
Building of the castle
Building of the castle 1857 (≈ 1857)
Modification of the exterior façade.
1998
Historic Monument Protection
Historic Monument Protection 1998 (≈ 1998)
Registration of facades, roofs and park.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Façades and roofs of the castle, as well as the billiard room, the dining room and the oval office, with their decor, the staircase; Park, as delimited on the plan annexed to the Order, including the remains of the factories (temple and cooler) and sculptures; chapel, in full, as well as the facades and roofs of the adjoining cowry; bath pavilion, in full; facades and roofs of the farm body; facades and roofs of the orangery; vegetable garden with its fence walls and access portal; facades and roofs of the Prulay mill (cad. E 14; F 73-76, 80, 95, 96, 212, 214, 215, 221-224): entry by order of 26 June 1998
Key figures
Pierre-Isaac Poissonnier - State Counsellor and Doctor of Louis XVI
Buyer and builder of the castle in 1774.
Louis-Martin Berthault - Landscape architect
Creator of the English park around 1804.
Origin and history
The Prulay estate, mentioned since 1170, belonged to the Prulay family until the 18th century. Extending over 100 hectares, it included castle, farms and mills. In 1774, Pierre-Isaac Poissonnier, a state councillor and doctor of Louis XVI, acquired the estate and had the castle rebuilt in a neo-classical style, with interior decorations signed by renowned artists. This project marks the beginning of a major transformation of the site, combining architecture and art.
Around 1804, landscaper Louis-Martin Berthault designed the park in an English style, incorporating winding alleys, factories, sculptures, a picturesque cowry and a chapel with a Managementoire decor. A bath pavilion is also added. In 1857, the castle underwent a brick reclothing, modifying its exterior appearance while retaining its original silhouette, as illustrated by the comparisons with an engraving of 1812. Only the central portal disappears.
Inside, several rooms have remarkable decors: the billiard room, decorated with landscapes in Empire style, the dining room closer to the 18th century, as well as the staircase and library, also in Empire style. The estate also includes an 18th century farmhouse, an orangery of the 19th century, and a mill modified at the end of the 18th century but preserving decorative elements of the era.
The castle and part of its outbuildings (park, chapel, cowry, bathhouse, orangery, vegetable garden and mill) have been protected since 1998 under the title of Historic Monuments. Their preservation illustrates the heritage importance of this site, combining architectural, landscape and social history from the Middle Ages to the 19th century.
