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Origin and history

Beaurepaire Castle, also known as Martinvast Castle, originated in the 16th century (1579-1581) with the construction of a Renaissance residence by Berthole du Moncel, on the ruins of an ancient feudal castle destroyed in 1398 during the Hundred Years War. This house kept a 14th century circular dungeon surrounded by moat and swamps. The seigneury then belonged to the family of Beaurepaire du Moncel, who lived there until the 19th century.

At the beginning of the 19th century, Count Alexandre du Moncel (1768-1861), heir to the estate, undertook a major restoration between 1820 and 1861. It removes the moat, drains the swamps, and reconstructs the castle in a neo-Gothic style inspired by Viollet-le-Duc, while preserving the medieval dungeon. It also expanded the park from 156 hectares to more than 500 hectares, providing an English-language garden, ponds, and a modern farm with about 100 people. The estate even hosted a government school farm in 1850.

In 1867, the estate was sold to Arthur de Schickler, banker of the king of Prussia, who called on British architect William Henry White to enlarge it in a "Victorian Gothic" style. White adds a north gallery and a wing connecting the dungeon to the Renaissance building, while the park is enriched with exotic essences and floral massifs designed by Levy-Dhurmer. The castle, occupied by the Germans during the Second World War, suffered damage in 1944: the Renaissance wing was destroyed by British bombardment, and part of the neo-Gothic wing was damaged by an American raid.

After war, Marguerite de Schickler, wife of Count Hubert de Pourtalès, had the Renaissance Pavilion rebuilt, but not the Neo-Gothic Gallery. In 1967, their grandson, Christian de Pourtalès-Schickler, restored the destroyed left wing and added a link gallery in the 1990s. The estate, partially listed as historical monuments since 1976 and 1992, retains remarkable elements such as an 18th century obelisk, greenhouses, a windmill, and a landscape park visited by personalities such as Empress Marie-Louise and Eugénie, or Queen Victoria.

The interior, redesigned by White for the Baron of Schickler, has a Gothic-Victorian style, with sculpted decorations such as the Noah's Ark on a fireplace. The park, about 100 hectares, includes factories (including the obelisk), marble sculptures, and rare species such as rhododendrons and camellias. The estate also served as a filming venue in 1922 for the silent film La Dame de Monsoreau.

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