Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Millemont Castle, located in the Yvelines in Île-de-France, consists of two distinct parts: the "little castle", built in 1515 for the Sieur d'Haville, governor of Monfort and baili of King Francis I. This first building marks the Renaissance anchor of the estate, linked to the royal court of the time.

At the beginning of the 18th century, in 1710, Guillaume IV de Briçonnet, a general lawyer at the Grand Council and adviser to the Parliament of Paris, erected the "great castle". This project reflects the social ascent of the robins during the reign of Louis XIV and the Regency, transforming Millemont into a major aristocratic residence.

The castle changed hands several times in the 19th century: acquired in 1827 by the Prince of Polignac, then sold in 1843 to Richard, a Parisian lawyer whose son, Maurice Richard, minister under the Second Empire, inherited. The estate became a political place, welcoming Prince Napoleon in 1872, before his exile ordered by Thiers. After the death of Maurice Richard in 1888, the castle passed into the hands of the Béjot family and was sold in 1987 to controversial owners, before a recent restoration.

In terms of heritage, the communes have been listed as historical monuments since 1947, while the whole castle (small and large) is classified in 1965. The site, partially abandoned and then restored, also served as a setting for films such as Marie-Antoinette (2006) or Coco before Chanel (2009).

Today, Millemont Castle embodies both an architectural testimony of the 16th–15th centuries and a turbulent history, marked by political figures, heritage scandals and official recognition as an emblematic monument of the Yvelines.

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