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Origin and history

Beaumont-du-Gâtinais Castle, located in Seine-et-Marne, has its origins in a medieval seigneury mentioned in the 11th century. The family of the seigneurs of Beaumont, which disappeared in the 13th century, gave way to a new line of marriage in 1493 between the granddaughter of Jacques Cœur and Louis de Harlay. It was the Harlays who profoundly transformed the estate, especially under the impulse of Achilles I of Harlay (1536–1616), the first President of the Paris Parliament, who obtained the erection of Beaumont in the county in 1612. The extension and beautification of the castle in the seventeenth century are mainly attributed to its descendant, Achille III de Harlay.

After the French Revolution, the castle was sold as a national property in 1798 and partially demolished in 1804. Despite these destructions, several remarkable elements remain and have been protected since 1984: the fronts and roofs of the first courtyard, a 16th-century Renaissance gate, two round towers, as well as the moats and their four bridges. These ditches, still in water, are fed by the Fusain River and structure the whole into two parts connected by art works.

The architecture of the castle, although unknown author, bears the influence of Italian artists who worked in Fontainebleau at the same time. A 1713 drawing, preserved at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, reveals a disposition in horse iron, typical of the aristocratic residences of the time. The entrance door, flanked by two pavilions, leads to a central courtyard, highlighting the defensive and residential character of the building. Today, the site combines private, communal and associate properties, with parts accessible to visit or dedicated to contemporary uses such as guest rooms.

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