Origin and history
Roberval Castle, located in Oise, is a monument whose present appearance dates back mainly to the eighteenth century. Charles de Rohan, Prince of Soubise and Marshal of France, had the facades rebuilt in a classical style and decorated the interiors (honour room, dining room) in a Louis XVI style between 1770 and 1780. The roofs, particularly high, could come from an earlier Renaissance castle, linked to Jean-François de La Rocque de Roberval, another emblematic lord of the village, who had also rebuilt the local church. The Prince of Soubise sold the estate in 1784 to Achille René Davène de Fontaine, thus founding a family line still existing today.
The 40-hectare park, which has been listed as a historic monument since 1993, combines two major influences. The oldest part, a French vegetable garden attributed to the school of Le Nôtre, was probably built around 1760 by Soubise, who also kept a 700-metre perspective towards the hills of Rhuis. The majority of the present park, created after 1784 by Davène de Fontaine, adopts a landscaped English style, with artificial river, rock fountains, and an island with poplars. A Louis XVI lookout, now outside the protected perimeter, once ran Mount Catillon.
The dovecote, partly medieval (mentioned in 1411), illustrates the historical strata of the estate. Its octagonal vaulted ground floor, equipped with murderers, dates from the 15th century, while the floor and its roof, decorated with Renaissance windows (1530-1560), were rebuilt under Jean-François de La Rocque. The building, on horseback on the old enclosure, has a bell topped by a symbolic lead sculpture: a pigeon on a sphere with faces, itself placed on a cube with grimacing masks.
The remains of the medieval fortress, prior to the present castle, remain near the lower courtyard. There are foothills, 10 metres wide flooded ditches delimiting one hectare, as well as archeries directed towards the Saint-Rémi church. These moats and walls, combined with scattered medieval ceramic fragments, suggest the location of a primitive castral mot. In the 19th century, the lower court, which had been cited as a seigneurial farm since 1411, was moved, but its original layout corresponded to the enclosure of the castle.
The interiors of the castle, protected since 1993, retain a remarkable Louis XVI decor. The honour vestibule, the honorary lounge, the dining room and the large living room feature pearl grey panelling carved from staples, bouquets and garlands, inspired by the Petit Trianon. The walls, decorated with medallions and ice framed with vegetal motifs, are surmounted by Greek triglyphal cornices and palm friezes. The mists, carved in vases, complete this elegant ensemble, reflecting the fascist of aristocratic sponsors.
The north facade, sober but elegant, dominates the park and the vegetable garden, while the south facade, facing the Place du Château, is distinguished by a window door in the middle of the hanger. This entrance, framed by doric columns and bosses, attracts the look towards a carved pediment representing two coats of arms, a crown, and swans. Seven red brick chimneys, visible on the dardian roof, testify to the thermal comfort of the era. The ensemble, made of regional blonde stone, embodies the balance between architectural classicism and decorative refinement.
Announcements
Please log in to post a review