Often overlooked, the Château de Maisons-Laffitte is well worth a visit.
Did you know, for example, that scenes from "Revenge of the Musketeers" (La fille de d’Artagnan) and "Queen Margot"(La Reine Margot) were filmed there? Or that a copy commissioned by a Chinese billionaire exists, just a few kilometres from Beijing? If you want to discover anecdotes and Great History, come to the Château de Maisons-Laffitte!
Built between 1640 and 1650 for René de Longueil, the Château de Maisons was a modern castle for its time, blending classical and baroque aesthetics. It was the very first large "open" château, with its central vestibule and open staircase.
Designed to receive the King after his hunt, the Château de Maisons was completed in 1651. It wonderfully embodies the spirit of its time. Symmetry, majesty, balance of shapes, elegance of the roofs: it is a true model which prefigures classical art... Famous characters closely linked to the history of France were the owners of the Château de Maisons.
Among them, the Count of Artois, brother of Louis the 16th, the Marshal Lannes, the Duke of Montebello, the banker Jacques Laffitte or even Thomas de Colmar... The Château de Maisons has also received prestigious guests such as kings or princes, emperors or marshals but also writers or thinkers such as Voltaire, Madame de Staël or Benjamin Constant.
This castle was at that time considered as a place of rest, reception and celebration. Unfortunately, the place was deprived of its park and its outbuildings in the 19thcentury. After passing from hand to hand and having known various owners, the Château was finally bought by the State in 1905 to save it from demolition. It was classified as a Historic Monument in April 1914. For over a century, the castle has been open to the public and managed by the Centre des monuments nationaux (center of historical monuments).
During your visit, you will be able to admire tapestries from the 17th century as well as paintings, engravings and furniture from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, in rooms such as the King's apartment, the salons of the Count d’Artois or the Marshal's bedroom. Throughout the year, the Château de Maisons opens its doors to you and offers a program of activities for all ages. Come and discover this masterpiece of French architecture during guided tours, exhibitions, concerts and workshops.
School Group:
The Château de Maisons welcomes schoolchildren and offers a range of activities run by a team of mediators.
Built between 1640 and 1650 for René de Longueil, the Château de Maisons was a modern castle for its time, blending classical and baroque aesthetics. It was the very first large "open" château, with its central vestibule and open staircase.
Designed to receive the King after his hunt, the Château de Maisons was completed in 1651. It wonderfully embodies the spirit of its time. Symmetry, majesty, balance of shapes, elegance of the roofs: it is a true model which prefigures classical art... Famous characters closely linked to the history of France were the owners of the Château de Maisons.
Among them, the Count of Artois, brother of Louis the 16th, the Marshal Lannes, the Duke of Montebello, the banker Jacques Laffitte or even Thomas de Colmar... The Château de Maisons has also received prestigious guests such as kings or princes, emperors or marshals but also writers or thinkers such as Voltaire, Madame de Staël or Benjamin Constant.
This castle was at that time considered as a place of rest, reception and celebration. Unfortunately, the place was deprived of its park and its outbuildings in the 19thcentury. After passing from hand to hand and having known various owners, the Château was finally bought by the State in 1905 to save it from demolition. It was classified as a Historic Monument in April 1914. For over a century, the castle has been open to the public and managed by the Centre des monuments nationaux (center of historical monuments).
During your visit, you will be able to admire tapestries from the 17th century as well as paintings, engravings and furniture from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, in rooms such as the King's apartment, the salons of the Count d’Artois or the Marshal's bedroom. Throughout the year, the Château de Maisons opens its doors to you and offers a program of activities for all ages. Come and discover this masterpiece of French architecture during guided tours, exhibitions, concerts and workshops.
School Group:
The Château de Maisons welcomes schoolchildren and offers a range of activities run by a team of mediators.
