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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The estate of the Hermitage, in La Queue-en-Brie, was originally a seigneury composed of a castle and a farm organized in quadrilateral, surrounded by ditches filled with water. This estate originally belonged to the Gentian family until 1573, when it was acquired by Marc Miron, the king's first doctor. The latter probably undertook the reconstruction of the buildings between 1573 and 1604. The seigneury remained in the Miron family until 1684, before passing into the hands of the Landois family by auction.

In 1759 the Landois heirs sold the estate to Marie François de Paule Lefèvre d'Ormesson, then in bad condition. The destroyed wheat and oat barns were replaced between 1760 and 1780 by new buildings located further south. The rest of the buildings were gradually demolished in the 19th century, leaving only two 17th century corner pavilions and the farm buildings rebuilt in the 18th century. The Morel d'Arleux family, owner from 1880, had a master house built in regionalist style by architect Meunier.

Successive demolitions marked the history of the estate: the south wing of the castle was destroyed between 1740 and 1785 to give way to a barn, while the north wing disappeared partially between 1785 and 1810. The east and west wings were completely shaved after 1810. Today, only the north-east and south-west corner pavilions, as well as the north ditch and south farm building, have been protected under the Historic Monuments since 1998.

The estate illustrates the architectural and social evolution of a seigneury in Île-de-France, moving from an aristocratic residence to an agricultural complex, before becoming a private property still owned by the descendants of the Morel d'Arleux family. The current vestiges bear witness to the major transformations between the 16th and 19th centuries.

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