Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Marais Castle, located in Val-Saint-Germain in Essonne, is an emblematic building of the Louis XVI style, built between 1772 and 1779 by architect Jean-Benoît-Vincent Barré for Jean Le Maître de La Martinière, treasurer general of Artillerie. It replaces a medieval castle formerly belonging to the Hurault family, then transformed in the 17th century. This monument illustrates the opulence of the pre-revolutionary French aristocracy, with symmetrical architecture, doric columns and a dome inspired by the Louvre Clock Pavilion.

The estate, acquired successively by influential families such as the Noailles, Castellanes and Talleyrand-Périgord, has been marked by major transformations. In the 19th century, landscape architect Achille Duchêne redesigned the French-style gardens for Boniface de Castellane, while in the 20th century Gaston Palewski installed a museum in the communes. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1965, the castle houses original Louis XVI furniture and collections related to Talleyrand and Chateaubriand. Closed to the public since 2022, it was bought by Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský, who plans to make it a luxury hotel.

The history of the castle is also that of its prestigious owners. Anna Gould, an American heiress, lived there after her marriage to Hélie de Talleyrand-Périgord, descendant of the famous diplomat. The estate welcomed literary figures such as Florian, Mérimée and Chateaubriand, as well as political figures, including Gaston Palewski, Minister of General de Gaulle. In 2022, an auction dispersed part of his furniture, including porcelain plates from Sèvres offered to the Duke of Polignac in 1825.

The 40-hectare park, fed by the Remarde River, combines elements with French and wooded spaces. The communes, ancient remains of the 17th century castle, once housed a museum dedicated to Talleyrand and Chateaubriand. Despite its ranking, the castle was closed for ambitious renovations, aiming to transform it into a hotel while respecting its status as a Historic Monument. Its architecture and history make it one of the jewels of the Franciscan heritage.

Before the present castle, the site housed a feudal mansion mentioned in 1397, then a Renaissance castle enlarged by the Hurault family in the 16th century. The latter, surrounded by moat and equipped with a structured park, was razed in 1772 to give way to the current building. The materials of the old house were even destroyed to guarantee the novelty of the construction, a luxury that amazed contemporaries, as evidenced by the Marquis de Bombelles in his newspaper.

The Marais castle also served as a setting for cultural productions, such as the Netflix Revolution series. His last chapter, before its sale in 2022, was marked by financial and fiscal difficulties, resolved by Gaston Palewski's intervention with President Mitterrand. Today, its future lies in the hands of its new owners, who will have to reconcile modernity and preservation of an exceptional heritage.

External links