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Origin and history

The Château de Bandeville, located in Saint-Cyr-sous-Dourdan (Essonne), finds its origins in a medieval fortress mentioned in 1236. The fief, successively owned by the Rappoul and Drac families, was deeply transformed in 1622 by Thierry Sevin, President of the Paris Parliament, who erected the current Louis XIII style castle. This magistrate, from a parliamentary lineage, completed the constitution of the estate by acquiring the fief neighbour of La Tour Saint-Cyr in 1618.

In the 18th century, the Marquisat de Bandeville passed into the hands of the Doublet de Crouy family, a dynasty of Parisian parliamentarians. Pierre Doublet de Crouy (1667-1739) obtained confirmation of the title of Marquis in 1705, before the estate was passed on to his sons, including Michel (1707-1791), councillor and general farmer. The castle then underwent major architectural changes, notably under François Bazin, who became its owner in 1676 after the seizure for debts.

The modern era of the castle opened in 1806 with its acquisition by Count James-Alexandre de Pourtalès (1776-1855), a family that still preserves it today. In the 19th century, the park was redesigned in English style by Louis-Sulpice Varé (1833), while neo-Gothic and eclectic elements, such as the entrance lodge, were added. The estate, which also includes the nearby Marais castle since the 20th century, remains an architectural testimony of alliances between parliamentary nobility and European aristocracy.

Ranked a historic monument in 1974 for its facades, roofs and interiors (vestibulum, staircase, Empire salon), the Château de Bandeville illustrates the evolution of architectural tastes, from classicism Louis XIII to romantic reinterpretations. Its park, listed in the additional inventory, preserves remains of the original French garden, like a pond transformed into a picturesque pond. The set reflects both the fascination of parliamentary elites under the Old Regime and the landscape changes of the 19th and 20th centuries.

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