Château de Chilly-Mazarin: A Historic Estate in France
Visitor Information
Google Rating: 5
Popularity: Very Low
Country: France
Civilization: Early Modern, Modern
Site type: Domestic
Remains: Palace
History
The Château de Chilly-Mazarin is located in the town of Chilly-Mazarin in modern-day France. Its origins trace back to the medieval period when the Counts of Dreux established the fortress during the 13th century, reflecting its early role in the feudal landscape.
During the first half of the 17th century, specifically between 1627 and 1632, the château underwent a significant transformation under Antoine Coëffier de Ruzé d’Effiat, the local lord. He enlisted the architect Métezeau to renovate the estate, not only updating the building itself but also designing a formal French garden. This garden incorporated water elements such as a canal, moats, and several basins, reflecting the period’s taste for controlled natural landscapes and grandeur.
In the early 19th century, ownership of the estate changed hands when Louise d’Aumont sold it in 1804 to Louis Joseph Lecocq, a businessman. Lecocq altered the château’s structure by demolishing two of its wings. Less than two decades later, in 1822, the property was divided, and the main building was purchased by Louis Isidore Jardin. Jardin chose to remove the remainder of the old château, replacing it with a bourgeois residence designed in the neoclassical style. This new house underwent further renovation in 1903, updating its appearance while retaining the classical elements.
Between 1926 and 1929, several key components of the estate were recognized for their historical value and granted protected status as historic monuments. These include the pavilion associated with the water intake of the aqueduct (known as the pavillon du regard), portions of the moats, the bridge, and the entrance pavilion.
In 1971, the municipality of Chilly-Mazarin acquired the entire estate. The property was then adapted to serve as the town hall, giving the château a new administrative purpose within the community.
Remains
The Château de Chilly-Mazarin today is situated on an earthwork that is covered with grass and encircled by water-filled moats. Access across these moats is provided by a stone bridge featuring three arches, which supports a grand gate marking the main entrance to the property.
On the northern side of the courtyard, a group of service buildings encloses the space. These structures consist primarily of two square pavilions, each rising two stories and topped with four-sided slate roofs. They are connected by a central building characterized by a mansard roof, a style featuring a steep, double-pitched slope.
The main residence is built with carefully cut stone and includes a central section flanked symmetrically by two recessed pavilions. This building rises four levels, culminating in a mansard roof on the top floor. Each level of the central block is pierced by three evenly spaced windows, while the side pavilions each display one window per floor. Above the lateral windows on the roof, there are two oculus windows—circular openings that provide light and architectural interest—and the entire roof incorporates slate and zinc materials.
Within the park surrounding the château remains a southern canal, a reminder of the early 17th-century garden design. An ornamental structure known as a folly is also present in the grounds. This folly serves a practical purpose as the pavilion for the aqueduct’s water intake, responsible for channeling water to supply the fountains and basins throughout the garden.
These surviving elements together illustrate various phases of the château’s history, from its medieval origins through its 17th-century transformation and later adaptations, preserved today as part of the estate’s protected heritage.
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