Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The royal castle of Sainte-Gemme, also called Saint-James, was located in the present commune of Feucherolles (formerly Lanluets-Sainte-Gemme), near Saint-Germain-en-Laye in the Yvelines. Although its precise construction remains undetermined, it could go back to the reign of Robert I of France (XI century), with a first chapel dedicated to Saint Gemme, built in 1033. This site became a privileged place of residence for the kings of France, especially John II the Good, who frequently stayed there, as evidenced by a letter of February 1344.

On February 9, 1350, the castle welcomed the marriage of John II the Good with Jeanne d'Auvergne, marking its importance in Capetian history. During the Hundred Years' War, he was ruined and occupied by the English, who renamed him Saint James. The La Salle family established its governance, while a royal chapel, linked to the collegiate of Poissy and under the responsibility of chaplain Guillaume de Feucherolles, was destroyed during the Revolution. The coat of arms of Feucherolles today perpetuates its memory with a crowned fortress.

The sources also mention improvements in the 16th and 17th centuries, associated with the Gère family. Although the castle is now extinct, its location in Feuchelolles (Yvelines) and its partial inscription in the Historical Monuments in 1993 (former castle and chapel) attest to its heritage. A confusion persists with another castle of Sainte-Gemme located in the Gers (Occitanie), dated the 13th century and linked to the same period, but distinct from that of the Yvelines.

External links