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Origin and history

The Château de Bailleul-sur-Thérain, located in the department of Oise in the Hauts-de-France region, finds its origins in the 9th century with the "Fort de Barbanson", followed in 1202 by a "Fort House" besieged in 1212 by the troops of Philippe de Dreux, bishop of Beauvais. This site was said to have welcomed Louis IX (Saint-Louis) and Blanche de Castille. The present building, built in 1724, replaces these medieval structures and embodies a large mansion in Mansart style, with brick and stone facades decorated with mascarons and wrought iron balconies.

Two feudal towers remain of the old castle: one of the 14th century, the other rebuilt on the model of those of Langeais castle. The estate, owned by only five families over nine centuries, was owned by the Marquis de Gaudechart until its extinction. In 1724, François Michel du Mesnil, married to Thérèse de Gaudechart, rebuilt the castle before leaving it to his wife in 1778. The site will also house, from 1819 to 1837, the Small African Seminary founded by Anne-Marie Javouhey.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 1961 for its facades, roofs and entrance gate, the castle suffered a fire in 2012 that ravaged its roof. Its park, crossed by the Thérain, and its architectural elements (conical lines, chains, towers) testify to its past prestige. The seigneury of Bailleul, mentioned in the ninth century, played an important role in local feudalism, linked to fiefs and historical transactions such as that of Clermont County in 1258.

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