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Origin and history

The castle of Jossigny, built in 1753 for Claude-François Leconte des Graviers, adviser to the Parliament of Paris, is a major achievement of architect Jacques Hardouin-Mansart of Sagonne, last heir to the Mansart dynasty. Located 32 km east of Paris, it perfectly illustrates the principles of Charles-Étienne Briseux's treaty of building country houses (1743), while embodying the charm and picturesque rock style. The estate, with its concave and convex facades and its pagoda cover, also bears witness to the influence of Ornemanists such as Nicolas Pineau, identified as a co-author of certain decorative elements.

The land of Jossigny, acquired in the Middle Ages by Cyprien de Freil, bourgeois of Lagny-sur-Marne, passed into the hands of influential Parisian families through marriage alliances. In the 16th century, the Brageslongue, nobility of robe, became owners, before the estate was passed on to the Leconte des Graviers in the early 18th century. It was under Claude-François Leconte, after 1752, that the 17th century castle was rebuilt, thanks to financial opportunities and close relations with Mansart de Sagonne, an architect also involved in projects for the Countess of Argenson.

Ranked a historic monument in 1942, the castle was given to the state in 1949 by Baron Guy de Roig, while remaining under usufruct until 1975. Today run by the National Monuments Centre, it maintains an interior distribution inspired by the plans of Briseux, with a privileged ground floor and a staircase with wrought iron ramps reminiscent of those of the Hotel de Marsilly (1739). Its park, outbuildings and alleyways complement this architectural ensemble, symbol of the refinement of the Enlightenment century.

Jossigny's architecture reveals a unique synthesis between French influences, such as rock decorations, and Germanic elements, linked to the origins of Leconte's wife, Marie-Eléonore Wiebbeking, as well as the orders of Mansart de Sagonne for the Duke of the Deux-Ponts. The pagoda blankets and broken pediments, typical of the fashionable Chinese factories, contrast with the emerging classical rigor, making this castle a milestone between rock and neoclassicism.

The estate, organized around a courtyard bordered by an orangery and stables, resumes the layout of the 17th century buildings, with three central pavilions flanked by two lateral wings (chapel and kitchen). The facades, inspired by boards 25 and 29 of Briseux, avoid servile copying for a personal interpretation, where the play of convex and concave volumes underscores the virtuosity of Mansart de Sagonne. The latter expresses his taste for a plastic architecture, hierarchical and dynamic, characteristic of his mature period.

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