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Origin and history

The castle of Montherlant, located in the Oise department in the Hauts-de-France region, is a building of the early eighteenth century, built of bricks and stones. Although its exact date of construction remains unknown, parish archives attest to its presence in 1694, evoking Claude César de Combes, lord of Monsterlant, and his wife. The castle consists of a central body flanked by two wings, with a perron decorated with terracotta lions. He passed into the hands of several families, including the Millon, who resided there until the 19th century and in 1864 obtained permission to add Montherlant to their name.

In 1755 Antoine Millon, squire and supplier of the royal court, acquired Madame de Combes de Lys' castle. The property remained in his progeny until 1843, when Nicolas Charles Millon sold his shares to his brother Antoine Frédéric, who died three years later. The estate was then fragmented: the castle returned to Mr.Jousselin, while the farm and land were transferred to former administrators. The castle, with its park and gardens, was listed as a historical monument in 2003, after serving as a set for the television film Marie Curie (1965).

Interior architecture preserves 18th-century panelling, and it is part of a gardened park. The castle illustrates the evolution of a rural seigneury, marked by family alliances and complex inheritance transmissions. Its inscription as a historic monument underscores its heritage interest, linked to its aristocratic history and its role in local memory. Sources also mention a possible confusion with the nearby castle of Pontavesne, now in ruins.

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