Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de la Ferté-Saint-Aubin, located in the Loiret in the Centre-Val de Loire region, finds its medieval origins with a shawlet attested from 1025. In the 12th century, the seigneury belonged to the family of the Nids, then passed through successive alliances in the hands of Lisle, Graçay, and Mornay. The latter, influential nobles from the 14th to the 15th centuries, finally gave the estate to the d'Estampes in 1458. The present castle was built from 1590 by Henri de Saint-Nectaire, Marquis de La Ferté-Senneterre, according to the plans of architect Théodore Lefèvre, replacing a damaged structure in 1562.

The construction continued under his son, Marshal Henri de La Ferté-Senneterre (1599–1681), who enlarged the estate between 1630 and 1640 with the help of architect Thibaut Poissant. The castle, surrounded by moats and bordered by the Cosson River, combines a small castle (1590–1620) and a large house of the seventeenth century, reflecting the social ascent of the family, raised to the rank of Dukes and peer of France in 1665. The park, originally built in French in the 1630s, was transformed into a landscaped garden in 1822.

After the extinction of the lineage of the Saint-Nectaire in 1703, the castle passed into the hands of noble families such as the Thibault de La Carte, then Marshal Löwendal, who obtained his county erection in 1748. Confiscated during the Revolution, it was bought in 1827 by François-Victor Masséna, son of the famous Marshal of Empire. In the 20th century, the Guyot family acquired the estate in 1987 and restored it, opening it to the public. The castle, classified as a historical monument in 1944 and 1961, is famous for its orangery, its 19th century stables, and its role in Jean Renoir's film La Règle du jeu (1939).

The site, served by the station of La Ferté-Saint-Aubin, extends over 40 hectares and includes seven water arms, charmilles, and rare species such as bald cypresses. The interiors house living rooms decorated with ancient statues (Diane, Venus d'Arles) and a historic dining room. Today, the castle hosts cultural events such as Easter egg hunts, culinary workshops at Toussaint, and Christmas markets, perpetuating its anchor in local life.

The history of the castle is marked by figures such as Renaud de l'Isle (XIIIth century), d-Estampes (XVIth century), or the Marshal of Löwendal (XVIIIth century). Its architecture, combining Renaissance and classicism, and its park, renovated in the 18th century in 1992, make it a major witness to the aristocratic heritage of the Sologne. The protections under the Historic Monuments (1944, 1961, 1995) cover both the building and the moat, emphasizing its historical and landscape importance.

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