Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Saint-Jean-de-Beauregard, located in the department of Essonne in Île-de-France, came into being in 1612, when François Dupoux, adviser to King Louis XIII, began its construction on the ruins of Montfaucon. The latter, of sinister reputation, was renamed Beauregard by royal order, marking the birth of Saint-Jean-de-Beauregard. The estate then passed into the hands of several influential owners, including François Garnier (1638), Pierre de La Mouche (1669), and especially Laurent Charron, receiver general of Les Domaines, who transformed it deeply in the 1760s. His wife, Françoise Matagon, made him a secondary residence until his death in 1768.

In the 19th century, the park evolved partly towards an English style under the impulse of Françoise-Mélanie Charron and her husband, Count Victor-Amédée d'Auberjon. The estate, classified as a Historical Monument in 1926 and then 1993, retains major architectural elements: a 17th century central stoneware body, commons with dovecote and orangery, as well as an 18th century vegetable garden still in operation. The chapel, built between 1825 and 1839, replaces an earlier religious building. The castle, restored after 1878 by the Duke of Caraman, remains today owned by its descendants.

The field illustrates the evolution of aristocratic tastes, combining French classicism and English landscape influences. Its history also reflects social changes, from its original agricultural function (columbier, bass-cours) to its current opening to the public, with events such as the L-Interfilières festival. The remarkable Garden label highlights the heritage value of its 2 hectares of gardens, between French-style terraces and picturesque compositions.

The origin of the name Beauregard comes from the exceptional view offered from the terraces on the valley of the Salmouille, a panorama that would have seduced the first occupants. The estate, accessible from Paris via A10 or RN118, is located 25 km southwest of the capital, in the former province of Hurepoix. Its inscription in the title of historical monuments today protects all its enclosure, including the large driveway.

Architecturally, the castle is distinguished by its prominent two-storey pavilions, its slate roofs, and the combined use of sandstone and brick (now coated). The commons, in mill and sandstone, house functional elements such as the dovecote with preserved bolts. The park, partially redesigned in the 19th century, however, retains its large original tracks, reflecting the duality between classical heritage and romantic adaptations.

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