Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Dormans, located in the Marne, appears in the texts from the end of the 13th century with Jean de Dormans, local lord. In the 14th century, the family of Dormans, including John II (chancellor of France and bishop of Beauvais) and his brother Guillaume, marked the history of the place. The lineage was extinguished in the 16th century, and the estate passes through successive alliances to the families of Laon, d'Ancienville, then to the Larchet d'Olisy in the 17th century.

In 1642, the castle was acquired by Henri de Bourbon, prince of Condé, before passing to his son Louis, then to his brother Armand de Bourbon-Conti. An exchange orchestrated by Mazarin in 1660 attributed chestnutry (now county) to Charles de Broglie, then to his son Victor-Maurice. The Broglie and Ligne families redesigned the castle in the 17th century, retaining only two medieval towers and adopting a classic Louis XIV style. The estate changed hands again in the 18th and 19th centuries, becoming marquisat and then owned by families like the Boucot or the Rouault de Gamaches.

Seized as a property demigrated in 1791, the castle was sold to Thelusson, who kept it until the 19th century. After several changes of ownership, it was managed by the Salesian Fathers (1949-1985) before becoming communal property in 1999. Today, its park houses the Marne Battles Memorial (First World War), an orchard, an arboretum and a rococo waterfall. The castle also hosts the local tourist office.

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