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Origin and history

The castle of Pont-sur-Seine finds its origins in a medieval castle located on the fief des Caves, originally belonging to the Guise family. In 1632 Claude Bouthillier de Chavigny, the Superintendent of Finance of Louis XIII, acquired the seigneury and began the construction of a new castle according to the plans of architect Pierre Le Muet. The work spanned several years, with developments such as locksmiths (1641) and fountains (1641-1642). La Grande Mademoiselle, in his Memoirs, described him as "one of the most beautiful houses in France" and stayed there several times, especially in 1652 during his forced exile from Paris.

In the 18th century, the castle passed into the hands of Prince François-Xavier of Saxony in 1775, who lived there until his declaration of emigration in 1792, resulting in the confiscation of his property. Napoleon Bonaparte, who enjoyed the estate, offered his mother Letizia Ramolino in 1804. She lived there until 1813, but the castle was ravaged by Prussian troops in 1814. Constrained by post-Napoleonian treaties, she soon sold it. The estate was then purchased in 1821 by Casimir Perier, future president of the Council under Louis-Philippe I, who partially rebuilt it with architect Pierre-Anne Dedreux.

The castle gardens, inspired by the models of Richelieu, Vaux-le-Vicomte and Versailles, were arranged symmetrically. A large floor with central fountain, a horse-drawn iron staircase inspired by Fontainebleau, a vegetable garden and an orchard surrounded a double canal, later transformed into a single. These developments reflected Bouthillier de Chavigny's ambition for his "house of fields". The estate also includes the ruins of the chateau des Salles, a former residence of the lords of Nogent, integrated into the park in the seventeenth century.

The castle remained in the Casimir-Perier family until 1980, when Jean Casimir-Perier, grandson of Casimir Perier, briefly became president of the French Republic (1894-1895). The dovecote, the commons and the drinking-place date from the pre-19th century reconstruction periods. Today, the site bears witness to these historical strata, from its medieval origin to its modern transformations.

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