A Mid 18th Century Chateau And Its Numerous Outbuildings Near Vaux Le Vicomte, In One Of The

A mid-18th century chateau and its numerous outbuildings near Vaux-le-Vicomte, in one of the first English-style landscaped parks in France. Extending over an area of around 70 hectares, the at first sight unremarkable property conceals a setting where nature, discreetly magnified by human hands, appears to have offered its hospitality in return. As you approach the chateau from the west, the quadruple avenue of centuries-old chestnut trees draws all eyes to the chateau. Past a stone bridge guarded by two terracotta lions, an impressive wrought iron double gate crowned with floral scrolls opens onto the paved main courtyard, embellished with symmetrical flowerbeds “à la française” and rows of lime trees on either side. The initial impression is of a classical building, with its central dressed stone structure flanked by two low wings and topped by a slate Mansard-style gambrel roof. However, the earliest traces of the feudal stronghold date back to the 12th century, around 1180.

At that time, there was a medieval castle ”flanked by four towers, surrounded by moats filled with water, protected by a drawbridge, with a chapel, garden, woods and pond”. The estate subsequently passed into the hands of various aristocratic and bourgeois families.

In 1750, the buildings were destroyed by a fire. The medieval building was then replaced by a chateau designed for recreation. All that remained of the original castle were the noble features, including the dovecote, which is still standing today. This was the era of classicism: the chateau was erected between courtyard and garden to follow the path of the sun. In fact, it is modelled on the layout of a Parisian townhouse, with a two-storey central building topped by a Mansard roof. With a slightly projecting avant-corps, it is flanked on either side by two low wings with arcades topped by flat roofs and crowned with stone Medici pots. The north wing is extended at right angles by a small gallery that links the chateau to the outbuildings and hereby forms a paved base-court, separated from the main courtyard by a symmetrical wall. The former stables and flat-tiled outbuildings, which have been converted to host events, surround this base-court.

To the south, a gate leads to a vast walled kitchen garden with a greenhouse. There is another southern gate leading to a walled garden with an orangery and a maze of hornbeam hedges.

To the east lies the English-style landscaped parkland. Beyond the perimeter walls, a gardener’s lodge, former outbuildings and 52 hectares of woodland complete the property.
Information on the risks to which this property is exposed is available on the Géorisques website: https://www.georisques.gouv.fr/