Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

Belmont Castle, located in Andilly in Val-d'Oise, is a building built between the late 16th and 19th centuries. Although its origins date back to the Renaissance, it has undergone many transformations over the centuries, reflecting the tastes and needs of its various owners. Its architecture and history thus bear witness to a constant evolution, mixing medieval heritage and subsequent modernisations.

From 1817, the castle became the residence of the Duchess of Duras, welcoming several times the writer François-René de Chateaubriand. This period marks a cultural turning point for the field, combined with major literary and political figures. In 1824, the castle passed into the hands of Talleyrand, who installed his niece and mistress, Dorothée de Courlande, adding a diplomatic and social dimension to his history.

In 1828, the castle was acquired by Mr.Lestapis, former receiver general of the Basses-Pyrénées, before being bought in 1865 by the banker Léon Gay, administrator of the Comptoir national d'escompte de Paris. The latter passed it on to his son-in-law, Jules Rostand, mayor of Andilly and relative of the writer Edmond Rostand. On the death of Jules Rostand, the castle was temporarily bequeathed to the Sisters of Providence, then returned to the Rostand family in 1970. After a period of abandonment, it is successively transformed into a luxury hotel, luxury apartments, and finally a center of cures, illustrating its adaptation to successive periods.

The castle of Belmont thus embodies a rich history, mixing architectural heritage, social life and functional transformations. Its evolution reflects the social and economic changes in the region, while maintaining a central place in the local landscape. Today, it remains a symbol of the prestigious past of Andilly and of Val-d-Oise.

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