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Château de Beaurepaire in Vernou-la-Celle-sur-Seine en Seine-et-Marne

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine défensif
Demeure seigneuriale
Château
Seine-et-Marne

Château de Beaurepaire in Vernou-la-Celle-sur-Seine

    Route de Valence
    77670 Vernou-la-Celle-sur-Seine
Crédit photo : Grefeuille - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Bas Moyen Âge
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1300
1400
1500
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
XIIIe siècle
Medieval origins
1425
Kitchen construction
1510 (après)
Reconstruction by Henencourt
1577–1614
Works by Pierre de Lameth
1809
Demolition of a wing
1978
First MH protection
1993
Extension of protection
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

Fronts and roofs of the castle; dependencies; entrance gate with its pavilions and wall; dovecote (Box A 86 ) : entry by order of 4 August 1993

Key figures

Mauroy de Saint-Ligier - Medieval Lord Kitchen sponsor in 1425.
Adrien de Hénencourt - Reconstructor (early 16th) North wing and gun windows.
Pierre de Lameth - Governor of Creil Major transformations (1577–1614).
Catherine du Plessis - Wife of Pierre de Lameth Associated with 16th century works.

Origin and history

Beaurepaire Castle, located in Vernou-la-Celle-sur-Seine (Seine-et-Marne), is one of the oldest buildings in the vicinity of the Halatte forest. Its history dates back to the 13th century, of which there is only a cellar and a spiral staircase. The present castle, from plan to plan, is mainly the result of transformations carried out between 1577 and 1614 by Pierre de Lameth, governor of Creil, and his wife Catherine du Plessis, integrating a medieval kitchen of 1425 and an octagonal tower.

North wing, main house body, retains elements of the reconstruction carried out after 1510 by Adrien de Henencourt, like sled windows. Subsequent additions (a building in 1901, a dome on the tower between 1871 and 1884) and the demolition of an old wing in 1809 changed its appearance. The castle, marked by "harmonic complexity", has been partially protected since 1978 (inscription MH) and 1993 (extension to its dependencies).

Originally, the medieval castle played a defensive and seigneurial role, before becoming an aristocratic residence in the 16th-17th centuries. The changes reflect architectural and social changes, from a fortress to a refined place of life. Its portal, formerly preceded by a drawbridge, and its pavilions bear witness to this transition between the Middle Ages and modern times.

The source Monumentum specifies a period of construction in the 4th quarter of the 17th century, suggesting late work not detailed in the main text. This phase could correspond to interior arrangements or beautifications, typical of the castles of the Île-de-France under Louis XIV, where the local elite modernized their homes to follow the standards of the Versaillais.

Today, Beaurepaire's castle illustrates the superposition of the epochs, from medieval remains to 19th century additions. Its inscription in the Historical Monuments underscores its heritage value, combining military, Renaissance and classical architecture. The outbuildings (colombier, gate) and the enclosure wall, protected in 1993, complement this emblematic ensemble of the seine and marnais heritage.

External links