Architectural changes vers 1780 (≈ 1780)
Major changes to the building.
début XVIIIe siècle
Reconstruction by René II Choppin
Reconstruction by René II Choppin début XVIIIe siècle (≈ 1804)
Castle rebuilt by a criminal lieutenant.
1848
Fire and restoration
Fire and restoration 1848 (≈ 1848)
Forebody restored with balcony.
1941-1945
Resistance Centre
Resistance Centre 1941-1945 (≈ 1943)
Directed by Henri Duvillard against the Occupation.
22 juillet 2009
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 22 juillet 2009 (≈ 2009)
Official registration of protected items.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The castle and its decorations including the entire stairway, the facades and roofs of the two symmetrical pavilions, the ditches and their masonry walls, the entrance gate, the courtyard floors, the vegetable garden with its fence wall, the park with its fence walls (cad. ZE 13-23, 31, 33, 71, placed Arnuville): registration by order of 22 July 2009
Key figures
René II Choppin - Criminal lieutenant at Châtelet
Rebuilder of the castle in the 18th century.
Henri Duvillard - Resistant and future Minister
Directed the local resistance network.
Origin and history
The Château d'Arnouville, located in the commune of Gommerville (Eure-et-Loir, region Centre-Val de Loire), is a monument dating back to the 17th and 19th centuries. It was completely rebuilt in the early 18th century by René II Choppin, a criminal lieutenant at the Châtelet in Paris. This character, born of the nobility of dress, marked the history of the castle with ambitious works, followed by reshuffles around 1780. After a fire in 1848, the forebody was restored and provided with a large balcony supported by a colonnade, illustrating the architectural transformations of the 19th century.
During the Second World War, Arnouville Castle played a discreet but crucial role in the Resistance. The site was headed by Henri Duvillard, the future member of the Loiret and minister, and housed a youth centre. From 1941, Duvillard opposed the anti-Semitic guidelines of his hierarchy and organized a network of resistance affiliated with Turma-Vengeance, covering the south of Eure-et-Loir and the north of Loiret. The castle was also targeted by German aviation, due to its strategic position linked to undergrounds linking historical sites, although this information remains to be confirmed.
Ranked a historic monument since 22 July 2009, the Arnouville Castle retains remarkable elements: facades, roofs, ditches, gates, as well as a park and a walled vegetable garden. These protections also concern interior decorations, including an iconic staircase. Despite the partial destruction suffered during the war, the site now bears witness to a heritage that is both architectural and memorial, linked to local and national history.
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