Château de Saint-Fargeau

Saint-Fargeau

Saint-Fargeau, in the Puisaye, is said to have begun around 980 as a fortified hunting lodge built by Heribert, bishop of Auxerre (sources differ on his exact link with Hugh Capet). In 1450 Jacques Cœur acquired the estate; fallen from favour, he lost it as early as 1453. Antoine de Chabannes then rebuilt the château, and the great tower was begun in 1467. In 1652 the Grande Mademoiselle, Anne-Marie-Louise d'Orléans, was exiled there for five years after her role in the Fronde. She had the courtyard façades redone by François Le Vau (1653–1657) and added apartments, a theatre and a guard room reputed to be the largest in France. She is credited with a secret marriage to Lauzun. In 1713 the estate passed to the Le Peletier family. Louis-Michel Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau, a deputy of the Convention, was assassinated in Paris on 20 January 1793, the day before the execution of Louis XVI. A fire in 1752 had destroyed part of the château, including the princess's apartments. Jean d'Ormesson spent part of his childhood there and drew on it for Au plaisir de Dieu (1974). Michel Guyot bought the château in 1979 and restored it. It has been protected as a historic monument since 1949.

Getting there: Place de la République, in the heart of Saint-Fargeau, in the Puisaye (Yonne). Visiting conditions not verified. Coordinates: Nominatim (OpenStreetMap).

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound