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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château du Val, located in Saint-Germain-en-Laye in the Yvelines, was originally a hunting lodge built for Henri IV in the early seventeenth century. This relay, used by Louis XIII for his walks and restored in 1643, was profoundly transformed between 1674 and 1676 under Louis XIV. The architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart, then 30 years old, erected a small castle in classical style, marking the beginning of his royal career. The gardens, designed by André Le Nôtre, and the sculptures of Stephen Le Hongre and Martin Desjardins complemented this ensemble, supplied with water by a hydraulic machine foreshadowing Marly's.

From 1682 the castle was abandoned with the departure of the court for Versailles, until Prince Charles-Juste of Beauvau-Craon acquired in the eighteenth century. He raised it from one floor and re-built it by the architect Galland around 1776, while Hubert Robert re-designed the English gardens. The estate then passed to the Noailles, then was transformed in the 19th century for Mrs.Achille Fould, with gardens rebuilt by Louis-Sulpice Varé and the addition of a stone dairy imitating the brick.

In the 20th century, part of the park was distributed in 1927, and the rest was given to the Society for the Assistance of Members of the Legion of Honour. The castle became a residence for the latter before being converted into a luxury hotel in 2021, managed by Les Hôtels (very) particuliers under the name La Maison du Val. Ranked a historic monument in 1993 for its facades and roofs, it preserves a 17th century salon and carpentry adorned with lily flowers, testimonies of its royal past.

The original gardens of Le Nôtre, organised around a large driveway and baroque gardens, have now disappeared, although the topography of the site remains. The estate once offered a spectacular view of the Seine from a terminal half moon, conceived as a majestic point of view. The successive transformations have erased these developments, but old plans and descriptions, such as that of gardener Thomas Blaikie, attest to the elegance of the past.

The Château du Val illustrates architectural and landscape developments from the 17th to the 19th centuries, from a modest hunting relay to an aristocratic residence and then to a hotel establishment. Its history reflects the changing tastes of elites, from the regular gardens of Louis XIV to picturesque 18th-century parks, as well as the eclectic redevelopments of the Second Empire. Today, it combines historical heritage and contemporary use, perpetuating its role as a welcoming and prestigious place.

The protection of the site, classified in 1944 and partially listed as historical monuments in 1991 and 1993, underscores its heritage importance. The outbuildings, such as the 19th century dairy, and the communes rebuilt between 1935 and 1939, complete a complex of royal traces, noble heritage and modern adaptations.

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