Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Malesherbes came into being in the 14th century with the Châtel de Bois-Malesherbes, acquired in 1398 by Jean de Montagu, Superintendent of Finance of Charles VI. The estate then passes into the hands of influential families such as the Graville and the Balzac d'Entragues. In 1599 Catherine Henriette de Balzac d'Entragues, mistress of Henry IV, obtained a promise of marriage written in this castle, before participating in a plot against the king. His father, François Balzac d'Entragues, was arrested and pardoned, but was placed under house arrest in Malesherbes.

In 1718 Guillaume de Lamonion de Blancmesnil bought the castle, then in ruins, and undertook important works under the direction of architect Pierre Vigny. The castle is transformed with a classic facade, while maintaining its corner towers. Christian Guillaume de Lamonion de Malesherbes, son of the previous, was exiled there during the government of Chancellor Maupeou (1771-1774). Passionate about botany, he developed a remarkable wooded park, cited by contemporaries such as Thomas Jefferson and Arthur Young.

The castle became a symbolic place during the French Revolution, as Malesherbes welcomed royalists there before being himself guillotined in 1794. His heirs, the nephews of Chateaubriand, animated the estate under the Restoration. The castle, partially classified as a historic monument since 1965 and 1988, retains major architectural elements such as the Gothic chapel, a 1,800 niche dovecote and a cooler. Today, its private property is open to visitors.

The architecture of the castle, remodeled in the 18th century, combines medieval elements such as the corner towers with a classical facade. The park, about a hundred hectares, is home to historical outbuildings such as the tithe barn (14th century) and Chateaubriand House. The flamboyant Gothic-style chapel houses the tombs of François de Balzac d'Entragues and his wife, while the archives of the castle are preserved in the National Archives (subseries 399 AP).

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