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Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of La Fère was built at the edge of the 15th and 16th centuries for Marie de Luxembourg, Countess of Vendôme, on the present town of La Fère in Aisne. This monument illustrates Picardy Renaissance architecture, mixing brick and stone, of which today only one wing remains. The site was a major birthplace for the Bourbon-Vendôme family: seven children of Françoise d'Alençon and Charles IV de Bourbon were born there between 1514 and 1528, including Antoine de Bourbon, future king of Navarre and father of Henry IV.

In 1547 Mary of Luxembourg died in this castle which she had built. The estate was attached to the Crown in 1596. The monument also welcomed Francis I in 1529 during the peace negotiations in Cambrai, known as "Peace of the Ladies". In the 17th century, Father Henri-Marie Boudon, a religious figure, was born there in 1624. Partially ranked in 1965 and inscribed in 1994, the castle retains remarkable elements such as a staircase façade and a vaulted hall.

Among the Bourbon-Vendôme children born in La Fère were Antoine de Bourbon (1518), the future king of Navarre, and Marie de Bourbon-Vendôme (1515), who died in the castle in 1538. Other family members, such as Louis I of Condé, were born elsewhere. The building thus bears witness to a pivotal period between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, marked by political alliances and dynasty.

Architecturally, the castle is distinguished by its transitional style, typical of the Picardie of the time. The protections under the title of historical monuments specifically concern the eastern facade, an ogival hall, roofs, cellars and archaeological floors. These remains offer an overview of the aristocratic life and political stakes of the 16th and 17th centuries in France.

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