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All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

  2. Patrimoine
  3. Centre Val-de-Loire
  4. Loir-et-Cher
  5. 41100 Meslay

  6. Castle

Castle à Meslay dans le Loir-et-Cher

Loir-et-Cher

Castle

    19 Allée du Château
    41100 Meslay
Château
Château
Château
Château
Château
Château
Crédit photo : Chatmouettes - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
1589
Henry IV stay
1719
Buying the domain
1732-1735
Construction of the current castle
1794
Revolutionary escape
1943
Classification of the fleet
2017
Classification of the castle
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The castle in its entirety, the castle's courtyard of honour with its gate and fence walls, the terrace, the facades and roofs of the buildings of the lower courtyard of the dovecote, the dovecote in its entirety, the facades and roofs of the buildings of the courtyard of the gardeners, the vegetable garden with its fence walls and two grids, the landscaped park with its fence walls, a factory in the landscaped park and the cooler, as delimited by a yellow trait on the plan annexed to the decree (cad. A 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118 and 233): by order of 22 May 2017

Key figures

Henri IV - King of France Stayed in 1589 for five days.
François de la Porte - General farmer Buyer of the estate in 1719.
Jules-Michel Hardouin - Architect Designer of the current castle.
Pierre-Jean-François de la Porte - State Adviser Set up the exteriors of the castle.
Hippolyte de la Porte - Intellectual gentleman Welcomes romantic artists.
Madame de Staël - Writer Guest in the 19th century.

Origin and history

The castle of Meslay, located in the Loir-et-Cher region of the Centre-Val de Loire, is a historical monument of the 2nd quarter of the 18th century. Built between 1732 and 1735 by the architect Jules-Michel Hardouin, nephew of Jules Hardouin-Mansart, it replaces an old 15th century fortress. This Regency style castle is distinguished by its central forebody, its quarry stone facades and carved mascarons, reflecting the elegance of the era.

The site was entirely redesigned by Jean-François de la Porte, a general farmer close to Cardinal de Fleury, who demolished the old castle, moved the village and built a church and a cottonnade factory. The latter, producing the "Siamoises de la Porte", supplied the Cour de Versailles and the Parisian shops. The park, the gardens and the hijacking of the Loir were built by his son, Pierre-Jean-François, a state councillor, adding wrought iron grills and a dovecote.

The castle was a place of residence for historical figures like Henri IV in 1589, received by René de Fromentières during the siege of Vendôme. In the 19th century, it became an intellectual home under Hippolyte de la Porte, welcoming romantic writers (Madame de Staël), painters (Boilly, Ricois) and sculptors. Jean-Baptiste-François de la Porte's daughter saved her parents from guillotine in 1794, marking the revolutionary history of the estate.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 2017 (after registration in 1995), the castle and its park — protected since 1943 — have been open to the public since 2019. The Association of Friends of the Castle of Meslay, founded in 2015, organizes cultural events, perpetuating its heritage. Today owned by Charles de Boisfleury, the estate embodies five centuries of French history, mixing architecture, industry and aristocratic life.

The old castle, fortified mansion of the 15th century, was surrounded by moat and accessible by a drawbridge. Henry IV was there at the time of his reconquest of the royal domain, stressing his strategic role. The family of La Porte, owner over several generations, marked the place by its political and cultural influence, notably under the Regency and Restoration.

The 19th-century interiors, such as the neo-regency dining room or the Charles X library, testify to the refinement of its occupants. The castle survived world wars, with family members decorated for their heroism (Guy de Lavau, wounded in Douaumont in 1916 and died in Dunkirk in 1940).

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum