Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Réveillon, located in the Marne River, was built between 1607 and 1617 by Claude II of Ancienville and his wife Judith Raguier, on the foundations of an ancient feudal castle. In 1640, expertise revealed that the work was incomplete: windows without windows, unfinished walls, and interiors without finishes. The estate changed several times in the 17th century, including Michel Larcher, Jacques Galland, and Fieubet's family.

In 1719, the Marquis d'Argenson acquired the castle and made major modifications, such as the carved pediment representing Minerve and the transformation of the bays. In 1730 he sold the estate to Jules-Robert de Cotte, king's architect, who added woodwork, paintings, and decorated the estate's farms. The French-style gardens, created under Jacques Galland around 1663, include an aisle d'ormes and a vegetable garden watered by the local river.

In the 19th century, the castle passed into the hands of the Herbelin family, then of the painter Madeleine Lemaire, famous for her flower paintings and her Parisian salon frequented by Marcel Proust. The latter inspired the castle in In search of lost time. The two world wars spared the castle, although it was occupied by the German army in 1940. Since 1992, a restoration campaign has saved the monument, classified in 1948, as well as its outbuildings, including a 3,500-bolt dovecote and a melonnière.

The castle's outbuildings, such as the 17th century farmhouse in bricks and white stones, the dovecote restored in 1992, and the communes once home to stables, complete this historic estate. The 5 hectare park, classified in 1996, includes a French-style garden, a green courtyard, and an orchard. The ensemble illustrates the architectural and landscape evolution of the estate, marked by its successive owners.

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