Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Brouëssy, located in Magny-les-Hameaux (Yvelines), was built in the first half of the eighteenth century by Pierre Cailleteau, dit Lassurance, architect and controller of the King's Buildings. The latter acquired the estate in 1711, then expanded in 1712 with land and agricultural buildings. To build his family home, he reused materials from the demolition of the abbey of Port Royal, a symbol of Jansenism removed by Louis XIV. This reuse gives the castle a particular historical dimension, linked to the destruction of an emblematic place of French religious and intellectual heritage.

The building of the castle spanned between 1711 (date purchased by Cailleteau) and 1750 (mention in Trudaine's atlas), although some elements, such as the middle 18th century lambris, suggested further development. The adjacent farm, partially rebuilt in the 19th century, could date in part from the first half of the 17th century. A northeast wing (two spans) was added in the 19th century, and a third in 1969, illustrating the architectural evolutions of the site. Protected elements include facades, roofs, panelled lounges and a staircase, which were listed in the Historic Monuments in 2009 and 2016.

The estate is now owned by a private company. Its history reflects both the legacy of French classical architecture and the transformations of a heritage linked to major figures such as Cailleteau, as well as significant events of the Ancien Régime, such as the abolition of Port-Royal. The accuracy of its location (3 Rue Paul and Jeanne Weiss) and its state of conservation make it a tangible testimony of this time.

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