Less than 10 km from Fontainebleau and 1h from Paris, 16th-century royal chateau, with outbuildings, greenhouses, grounds and 60 hectares of woodland
Less than 10 km from Fontainebleau and 1h from Paris, 16th-century royal chateau, with outbuildings, greenhouses, grounds and 60 hectares of woodland.
The property stands in an old manorial village of well-preserved architectural heritage, less than 10 km from Fontainebleau and its railway station. Its south-facing elevations overlook the River Seine, where shifting reflections renew the view from hour to hour. Light is generous, and the setting between river and forest of Champagne lends itself to walking, cycling, kayaking and sailing. A station 2 km away runs to Paris-Gare de Lyon in around an hour; the Porte d'Orléans is 65 km by road, also about an hour.
The chateau's story begins in the mid-16th century, when François I came upon the site during a hunt. He ordered the building raised and the vineyard planted. Local tradition holds that the king lodged his mistress in the village across the river and signalled his presence by lighting a great fire high on the estate. Henri IV and Gabrielle d'Estrées spent five years here at the close of the 16th century. From the 17th to the late 19th century, the chateau passed through the hands of princesses and counts, with an industrial interlude in the 18th century when a brickworks was built, probably to supply the estate stables. Modernisation and the railway reshaped the estate towards 1900, and winegrowing gave way to use as a public reception venue (ERP category 5).
The main chateau offers nearly 2,300 m² of floor area, of which some 1,800 m² are habitable, laid out over three levels, a mezzanine and attics with a 900 m² footprint. It holds 19 bedrooms, a self-contained apartment, a professional kitchen with vehicle access, several linen rooms and reception rooms. More than half of the second level survives in its original state despite later alterations. On the east side, ceilings close to 5 m, restored oak parquet, marble fireplaces, cornices and original woodwork still conjure the balls and feasts once held here.Five further outbuildings await restoration and add nearly 1,700 m² of habitable space: stables of around 700 m², a director's house of close to 250 m², a recent annexe adjoining the chateau of over 100 m², and a caretaker's house of some 70 m².
The chateauThe building stands in the tradition of rural outbuildings attached to royal estates. Long in plan, its symmetrical facade runs across regular bays and rises through four levels, combining pale render with exposed brickwork that picks out quoins, window surrounds and stringcourses. Chimney stacks punctuate the slate roof. At the centre, a round-arched double door framed in dressed stone sits beneath a carved salamander, approached by a double-flight stone perron that gives the entrance its ceremonial weight.
The lower level
The entrance hall makes a monumental impression, organised around an imperial staircase in stone edged with finely wrought ironwork. Columns supporting round arches and vaults articulate the open space, while walls finished in faux ashlar reinforce the architectural order. Light pours through tall windows, underlining the volumes and lines of sight. Beyond lies a perimeter gallery leading to the service areas - linen room, cellars, storage and boiler room - also reachable from garden level.
The first floor
Apartments and bedrooms occupy this level, divided between a front range opening to the park and the Seine, and a rear portion set against the rock face and given over to bathrooms, stores and service rooms.
The second floor
East of the grand staircase, a sequence of reception rooms unfolds in regular, light-filled composition. Three bays structure the perspectives. Tall small-paned windows open wide to the outside, drawing in abundant light. Dado panelling lines the walls, and the floors alternate between antique encaustic tiles in ...
