Origin and history
The Parc du Domaine de Chantilly, located in Vineuil-Saint-Firmin in the Oise, is inseparable from the history of the castle and its successive owners. Originally, the site was a medieval fortress built in the 11th century by Guy de Senlis, "bottle" by King Louis VI, to control the road from Paris to Senlis. The fortress, surrounded by moat and containing seven towers, was looted in 1358 by the Jacques, then sold in 1386 to Pierre d'Orgemont, former Chancellor of Charles V, who undertook his reconstruction until 1394. The estate then passed to the Montmorency in the 15th century, which carried out important works, including the construction of the Petit Château by Jean Bullant in 1551 for the connétable Anne de Montmorency.
In the 17th century, the estate became the property of the Condé, the youngest branch of the Bourbons. Louis II de Bourbon-Condé, dit le Grand Condé, appealed to André Le Nôtre to draw the gardens between 1664 and 1673. The Nôtre structured the park around two perpendicular axes: a north-south axis marking the valley of the site, and an east-west axis occupied by the Grand Canal, 2.5 km long. He also created French-style beds, basins, and majestic perspectives, such as the terrace and the Great Degree. The Grand Condé received literary figures such as La Fontaine, Bossuet and Madame de Sévigné, and organized sumptuous festivals, whose legend of Vatel, master of the hotel, remained famous.
In the 18th century, the heirs of the Condé, notably Louis IV Henri de Bourbon-Condé, continued to embellish the estate. Jean Aubert built the Grandes Écuries between 1719 and 1740, a 186-metre-long architectural masterpiece to house horses and hunting crew. The park was also enriched with an Anglo-Chinese garden in 1772, including a charming hamlet inspired by Marie-Antoinette in Trianon. However, the French Revolution marked a dramatic turning point: the castle was partially destroyed in 1799, and the park, loti and sold by pieces. Only the Petit Château and the Grandes Écuries were spared.
In the 19th century, Henri d'Orléans, Duke of Aumale and son of Louis-Philippe I, heir to the estate in 1830, undertook the reconstruction of the castle between 1876 and 1882, according to the plans of the architect Honoré Daumet. Passionate about art and history, he installed his collections of paintings, drawings and ancient books, bequeathed to the Institut de France as the Condé museum. The park, partially restored, now preserves the traces of Le Nôtre's development, as well as subsequent additions such as the English garden designed by Victor Dubois in 1817. The estate, classified Historical Monument in 1988, remains an exceptional testimony of the art of gardens and French aristocratic history.
The Grand Ecuries, an architectural jewel of the eighteenth century, have been home since 1982 to the Musée vivant du Cheval, created by Yves Beloved. This museum, entirely renovated in 2013, highlights the equestrian heritage of the estate, with training demonstrations and exhibitions dedicated to equestrian art. In 2006, the stables were reunited at the castle thanks to the intervention of Karim Aga Khan IV, which paid €70 million to safeguard the estate between 2005 and 2020. The park, with an area of 115 hectares, also includes the Anglo-Chinese garden, the Petit Parc (or Sylvie Park) and the Chantilly Forest, extending over 6,310 hectares.
Today, the Chantilly estate attracts more than 500,000 visitors a year. It hosts major cultural events, such as the Chantilly Arts & Elegance car elegance competition Richard Mille since 2014, or temporary exhibitions in the Jeu de Paume, built in 1756. Despite a fire in November 2022 in the basements of the castle, the estate remains an emblematic site of French heritage, combining history, art and nature. Its classification as Historic Monuments in 1988 and its management by the Chantilly Estate Conservation Foundation, supported by the Aga Khan, ensure its preservation for future generations.
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