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Origin and history

Balleroy Castle, built between 1625 and 1630 on plans attributed to François Mansart, is a jewel of Louis XIII architecture. Acquired in 1600 by Jean de Choisy, a wine merchant enriched by his close proximity to Superintendent François d的O, the estate was then a modest Norman fief. His son, John II of Choisy, a State councillor and Chancellor of the Duke of Orleans, had the present castle built. Married to a Hurault, a woman of letters close to Marie de Gonzague and Louis XIV, he carried the furniture and decorations of their palace in Luxembourg after 1665, still visible today.

The castle then passed to their son, Abbé de Choisy (1644–24), known for his Memoirs and Embassy in Siam. Sold in 1698/1700 to the Princess of Harcourt, the estate became a marquisate in 1704 for Jacques de La Cour, whose descendants retained it until the 20th century. During the Revolution two sons of the Marquis were guillotined, and his daughter, the Countess of Hervilly, escaped death through a staging simulating madness. The castle, confiscated and then returned, remained in the family until 1970, when Myriam Bénédic sold it to Malcolm Forbes, who created a balloon museum there and organized a balloon festival.

Ranked a historic monument in 1951, the castle is distinguished by its double-moving staircase, its Char du Soleil painted by Charles de La Fosse (and not Mignard), and its gardens designed by Le Nôtre, completed in the 20th century by Henri Duchêne. The park, classified since 1943, also houses communes transformed into museums by Forbes. Among his illustrious visitors, Marcel Proust inspired himself for the château de Guermantes in In search of lost time, while Empress Eugénie owned a painting by Count Albert de La Cour, 19th century animal painter residing on site.

Architecturally, Balleroy embodies the Great Century: a local red schist, Caen stone chains, d'ardoise roofs, and a central pavilion flanked by two wings. The court of honour, framed by square pavilions and guerillas, opens up to a view marked by an alley, a gentle slope, and boxboards. The neighbouring village was even moved to create this view, reflecting Mansart's aesthetic ambition. Today, the castle combines historical heritage and aeronautical collections, heritage of Forbes.

The moat, the French gardens, and the interiors (living room with parquet floors, portraits of the Orléans family) are protected. The site, always private, perpetuates a history combining nobility, diplomacy, and technical avant-garde, from 17th century literary fairs to modern hot air balloons.

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