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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Vilgénis Castle, located in Massy in Île-de-France, has its origins in Gallo-Roman times with a rustica villa replaced in the 12th century by a fortified farm. In the 16th century, the Fourquaud family built a castle surrounded by moat, and the estate passed into the hands of several aristocratic families, including the Vignys, Sollys, and Albertas, which gradually expanded. In 1719, Claude Glucq, a Parisian magistrate, transformed him into a home decorated with works of art, including paintings by Alexandre-François Desportes, before giving him in 1741 to Élisabeth-Alexandrine de Bourbon-Condé, who modernized him according to the plans of architect Nicolas Dulin.

In the 18th century, the castle became a prestigious residence of Bourbon-Condé, with a redesigned park and communes rebuilt in 1774. The French Revolution marked a turning point: looted in 1789, it was sold as a national good in 1795 and transformed into textile spinning. In the 19th century, the prince Jérôme Bonaparte l'acquiert, enlarged the residence in Empire style, and built the park with lakes shaped like Napoleonic bicorne. After several changes of owners, including painter André Giroux, the castle was bought in 1906 by the American William Ellis Corey, who made it a reception place.

In the 20th century, Vilgénis Castle took on a military vocation during the two world wars, including a German headquarters in 1940-1941. In 1950, he was expropriated by the State and became a training centre for Air France until 2010. The estate is then divided: one part is preserved by Air France, another part is sold to Safran for a training centre, while the city of Massy is developing a public natural space. The castle, classified as a historical monument in 1977, now combines architectural heritage and modern uses.

The architecture of the castle, rebuilt in the 19th century, mixes bricks and grinders under a coating imitating the stone. Organized in "U", it features symmetrical facades, frontons decorated with imperial weapons and a Mansart roof. The communes, dated 1755 and classified, frame a central courtyard with a porch surmounted by a belfry. The 65-hectare park, covered by the Bièvre, includes lakes, an old cooler and a rose garden, partially preserved despite contemporary developments.

After Air France's departure in 2010, the site was transformed: Safran set up a training centre there, while Massy opened a natural space of 18 hectares around a dead arm of the Bièvre. A Concerted Planning Area (DAC) also saw the construction of 1,000 housing units from 2018. In spite of these developments, the castle retains its status as a historical monument, witness to the metamorphoses of a domain passed from the hands of the aristocracy to those of industry and communities.

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