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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château du Duc d'Épernon, located in Fontenay-Trésigny in Seine-et-Marne, finds its origins in the 12th century as a castle under Louis VI le Gros. Reconstructed in 1389 by Jean le Mercier on the order of Charles VI, it became a closed building of walls and ditches with two drawbridges. This strategic site, on the road to Rome and near Bréon, also served as a toll point for merchants and pilgrims travelling to the Champagne fairs.

In the 16th century, the castle was acquired by Jean de Nogaret de La Valette, who received Charles IX and Catherine de Médicis in 1570. In 1575, his son Jean-Louis de Nogaret, the future Duke of Épernon, inherited the castle and transformed it into a recreational residence in the early seventeenth century. The apartments, decorated with tapestries and paintings, and the ground floor covered with enamelled tiles, reflect this change. The castle then integrates into a fortified city, surrounded by French gardens and a park.

In the 17th century, the castle welcomed illustrious figures such as Henry III and Richelieu. In 1633 he was occupied by Jean de Campan, then sold to Pierre Aubert de Fontenay, treasurer general of Artillery, before being confiscated in 1663. In 1679 Roger de Pardaillan de Gondrin, suspected of counterfeiting, carried out alchemical activities there. The castle then changed hands several times, passing among others to the Noailles and La Fayette families.

In the 19th century, the Marquis de Biron partially restored the castle in 1837, but killed the entrance body and its turrets to open the court of honor. The castle was then rented to the former queen of Spain Isabelle II between 1877 and 1880. In 1883, it was purchased by Nicolas Menget, a shoe manufacturer. In the 20th century, the castle was gradually abandoned: the park's centuries-old trees were cut down in 1926, and the apartments served as warehouses in the 1940s.

Ranked Historic Monument in 1963 for its painted facades, roofs and panelling, the castle fell in ruins from the 1950s. In 2006, a real estate project landed in 2014, leaving the castle abandoned. Since 2017, local associations and the municipality of Fontenay-Trésigny have been working to safeguard it. In 2022, the castle was acquired by the History and Heritage Society for an ambitious restoration, while the municipality purchased part of the park to make it a public space.

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