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Origin and history

The castle of Mortefontaine was built between 1600 and 1630 for Philippe Hotman, lord of Plailly-Montmélian, on land gathered by his family since the 16th century. This domain, initially divided between several lords (including the Abbey of Saint-Denis and the Bouteiller de Senlis), became the centre of a marquisate erected in 1654, although its administration remained in Plailly. The castle, of classical style, is flanked by two pavilions and surrounded by a structured park, but only takes its rise in the 18th century under Louis Le Peletier, who built there an Anglo-Chinese garden inspired by Ermenonville, with factories, statues and an artificial hydraulic network.

At the Revolution, the estate was confiscated and bought in 1798 by Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon's brother. Under his leadership, Mortefontaine became a major diplomatic place: the Treaty of Mortefontaine (1800), ending the quasi-war with the United States, and the foreplay of the peace of Amiens (1802) were negotiated there. Joseph Bonaparte organized a great festival, such as the wedding of Murat and Caroline Bonaparte (1800), and had the castle renovated by architect Jacques Cellier. The park was then enlarged with picturesque factories, but the estate declined after 1814, passed into the hands of various owners, including the last prince of Condé.

In the 19th century, the estate was divided: the "Grand Parc" was sold in 1894 to the Duke and Duchess of Gramont, who built the Château de Vallière. The original castle, after having served as a school (1949-1958) and then as a luxury hotel (from 1987), becomes a private residence. Its park, listed as a historical monument in 2004 with the castle and its pavilions, lost most of its factories, with the exception of a gladiator statue. Today, the site also houses the Institut Saint-Dominique, a Catholic school set up in former outbuildings.

The notarial act of 1790 describes a domain composed of a central house corps, two pavilions, one wing in return, and outbuildings ( stables, orangery, theatre). The park, then 52 acres, included groves, vegetable gardens, and a ruined temple. Despite successive protections (listed in 1947, MH in 2004), the park was never restored in its original state. The castle also served as the location for the show Secrets d'Histoire (2015-2016), evoking Désirée Cary and Caroline Bonaparte.

The medieval origins of the site date back to Montmélian's chestnut, dependent on the crown until its exchange with Richard de Vernon (XIIIth century). The lands, divided between the Bouteiller de Senlis and the abbey of Saint-Denis, are gradually reunited by the Lallier and Hotman families. François Hotman acquired the seigneury in 1570, and his son Philippe built the castle there at the beginning of the seventeenth century. The Marquisat, created in 1654 for Jacques Le Coigneux, then passed to Le Peletier, of which Louis III (1730-1807) embellished the park before his exile in 1790.

The castle is also associated with cultural figures: Gérard de Nerval is inspired by it for his novel Sylvie, and artists like Watteau, Corot, or Chopin stay there. Despite its past prestige, the estate underwent divisions (1894, 1928) and radical transformations, losing much of its landscape heritage. The only notable remains of the 18th century park are the ice and gladiator, an isolated statue on the lawn.

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