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Origin and history

The royal castle of Sainte-Gemme, sometimes 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 exact date of construction remains unknown, it may date back to the reign of Robert I of France (Xth–XI centuries). A first chapel dedicated to Saint Gemme was built there in 1033, suggesting an ancient origin.

The castle is best known for having sheltered, on February 9, 1350, the marriage of John II the Good with Jeanne d'Auvergne. This king frequently stayed there, as evidenced by a letter of February 1344. The La Salle family was governors of it, and the communal coat of arms of Feucherolles perpetuates its memory by a crowned fortress. During the Hundred Years' War, the castle was ruined and occupied by the English, who renamed it Saint James.

A royal chapel, linked to the collegiate church of Poissy, was built under John II the Good and placed under the responsibility of chaplain William of Feucherolles. This chapel, like the castle, disappeared at the Revolution. The sources also mention architectural changes by English occupants, but little detail remains on its original structure.

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