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Origin and history

The château de Gournay-sur-Marne was built in 1680 by Louis Ancelin, local lord and son of Perrette Dufour, nurse of Louis XIV. It replaces an old fortress and becomes the residence of the Ancelin family after Louis' marriage with Marie Levassir. After the latter's death, the castle changed owners several times, including Vice-Admiral Claude Élysée de Court, who carried out important decorations and built the park.

In the 19th century, the castle suffered successive degradation: first transformed into a silk factory, it was then damaged during the 1870 war. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Nast family became its owner before transmitting it to Roger Ballu, mayor of Gournay. In 1925, the municipality acquired the castle as a town hall. Since 1945, it has been included in the inventory of historical monuments.

The architecture of the castle illustrates the classic French style, with a symmetrical facade flanked by pavilions and a fronton decorated with a Marne side. Inside, few original elements remain, with the exception of a 17th century painted ceiling in the southwest pavilion, representing Venus on his tank. The gardens, although reduced, took advantage of their proximity to the Marne, with a monumental terrace, beds and a kiosk with views of the river.

Today, the castle is surrounded by vegetation, contrasting with its clearer environment in the 18th and 19th centuries. Its history reflects the successive transformations of a seigneurial building into a public place, marked by periods of neglect and restoration.

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