Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Farm of Monsieur in Mandres-les-Roses has its origins in a medieval fief, the Grey Towers, attested from the fourteenth century. In 1604, the estate was already structured with a dovecote, a courtyard, a pool, an orchard and a garden. These elements indicate a diversified farm, typical of the great seigneurial estates of the time. The site evolves gradually, with mentions of press, pantry, attic and barn in 1680, reflecting growing wine and cereal activity.

Between 1760 and 1770, the farm underwent a major expansion with the construction of the north-east and north-west buildings, visible on the hunting map of the time. In 1765, the estate was equipped with complete infrastructures: kitchen, bedrooms, stables, sheepfolds, pigs, and even a supply, illustrating a farm in full operation, autonomous and versatile. These developments suggest both agricultural, livestock and artisanal production, characteristic of the large rural areas of Ile-de-France under the Ancien Régime.

A historic turning point occurred in 1774, when the farm was acquired by Monsieur, brother of King Louis XVI, which earned him his present name. This royal acquisition marks its integration into a network of aristocratic properties, before the domain was closed to the southwest between 1790 and 1810, probably under the effect of revolutionary upheavals. In 1813, the farm passed to the Berthier family of Wagram, a Napoleonic hero, and was annexed to the Grosbois estate, consolidating its status as a prestigious property.

The 20th century saw the farm change its vocation: acquired by the commune of Mandres-les-Roses in 1983, it became a public heritage. Its partial inscription in the Historical Monuments in 1977 (facades, roofs and dovecotes) bears witness to its architectural and historical value. Today, it embodies both the agricultural heritage of the Île-de-France and the social transformations associated with the Revolution and modern urbanization.

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