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Origin and history

The castle of Beynes, located in the valley of the Mauldre (Yvelines), finds its origins in the 11th century under the impulse of the lords of Montfort, vassals of King Robert the Pious. Confed to Guillaume de Hainaut to protect the steps of the royal estate against the Normans, the site is fortified by Amaury I and Amaury II de Montfort, then by Richard de Montfort between 1087 and 1092. This first castrum resisted in 1092 the assaults of William the Roux, king of England, marking his strategic role in defending Capetian territory.

The first written mention of a castrum in Beynes dates from 1176, although archaeological excavations did not reveal traces prior to the 12th century. At that time, the castle protected a major road junction (Orléans-Beauvais axis) and a ford on the Maulderre, a defence line before Paris. A stone ovoid dungeon, surrounded by a enclosure and accessible by a peg tower, is built outside flood areas near the church. The village, surrounded by a three-door wall ("de Paris", "de Mantes", "du Château"), houses up to 850 inhabitants in the 13th century, reflecting its demographic and economic importance.

During the Hundred Years War, the castle underwent major reshuffles to adapt to the nascent artillery: the dungeon was stunned, a second enclosure punctuated with nine semicircular towers was added, and casemates surmounted by artillery boulevards were built. Two fortified chestnuts control access to the village and river. The site remains a key garrison for the defense of the royal estate until the 15th century.

From the 15th century, the castle lost its military role with the extension of the royal domain. Robert d'Estouteville, the chamberlain of Charles VII, turned him into a residence of pleasure. In the 16th century, he passed into the hands of figures close to power: Guillaume Poyet (chancellor of France), Anne de Pisseleu, and then Diane de Poitiers, favorite of Henri II. The latter has a new home built by architect Philibert Delorme, pioneer of the glued-lamlet for the frames. The castle became a meeting place of the aristocracy, as in 1688 during the meeting between Madame Guyon and Father Fénelon.

Abandoned after the Revolution, the castle served as a stone quarry for the village before being bought by the municipality in 1967. Excavations (1995-1999) and consolidation work allow it to be safeguarded. Ranked a historic monument in 2014, it is still undergoing degradation, like the collapse of a wall section in 2016. Today, volunteer projects aim to stabilize the ruins and open them to the public.

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