We have been lucky enough to visit France, me for a brief moment to Paris in1972, and later with my Frenchie since 1990 until finally residing as French citizens in 2003 in Versailles. Later in 2011 we moved on to the Morbihan breton and it has been a blast if not for the personal losses. This is a post taken bits from others as not to repeat text just to remind of you the beauty of my belle France. I like to give more on Maintenon with new older pics for my blog ;and see my previous posts on the town. Hope you enjoy it as I.
Maintenon is only about 65 kms (40 miles) from Paris and 47 kms ( 29 miles) from Versailles. You can come by train from Paris Montparnasse to the train station in Maintenon, on the line Paris-Montparnasse direction Chartres.
The main thing to come here is the Château de Maintenon, that really was here since the middle ages and was the first fortress of the count of Monfort. The castle was later rebuilt in a renaissance style from 1509, and the garden, park was done by André Le Nôtre; and Racine came here often to meditate and Vauban, to direct construction of the aqueduct. Eventually the Castle passes to the family of Noailles ,after the marriage of Françoise-Amable d’Aubigné (niece of Mme de Maintenon) to the Duke of Ayen ,the son of Marshal Noailles (the marshal died of wounds in Cuba). Even king Charles X on it’s way to exile, sleeps in the castle in 1830.
And of course, the main personnage of the town and the title of Madame de Maintenon , we say wife of king Louis XIV was Françoise d’Aubigné, future marquise de Maintenon she catches the attention of King Louis XIV , and in 1683, after the death of the queen the king married Madame de Maintenon on the night of October 9-10, 1683,some said in Versailles. In 1674, Françoise d’Aubigné, future Madame de Maintenon buys the castle, lands and farms thanks to the help of the King Louis XIV, to think of retired in her last days; however, after 1688 ,she will never lived in the castle. In 1715, few days before the death of the King, Madame de Maintenon retires from the Court to Saint-Cyr l’école, where she died four years later on April 15 1719. Her remains were profane in 1793 during the French revolution ,but were later found after WWII and brought back to Saint Cyr l’école in 1969.
Under her influence, the Black Code was completed in 1685 and the Edict of Nantes revoked, which triggered the persecution and the exodus of Protestants. Madame de Maintenon had Saint-Cyr-l’École (Yvelines 78) created in 1686 the Royal House of Saint-Louis, an establishment intended for the education of noble and destitute young girls. The establishment was maintained during the first years of the French revolution, but closed its doors definitively in March 1793. Napoleon I was inspired by the Royal House of Saint-Louis to create the House of the young ladies of the Legion of Honor, which still exists today under the name of House of Education of the Legion of Honor.
Françoise d’Aubigné, marchioness of Maintenon, will be raised eight years, in the middle of her Protestant cousins, to Mursay. Théodore-Agrippa d’Aubigné makes of Mursay castle near Niort, his residence of rest in 1583. The house where it was the prison , she lived with her father and was born in. The house can be visited, here is more info in French: https://www.tourisme-deux-sevres.com/maison-natale-de-la-marquise-de-maintenon/niort/pcuaqu079v500jkq
The City of Maintenon on its history: http://www.mairie-maintenon.fr/home/histoire-de-la-ville/
The official Maintenon castle: http://www.chateaudemaintenon.fr/en
The Eure et Loir dept 28 Tourist board on Maintenon: https://www.tourisme28.com/experiences/cest-pas-versailles-ici/
There you go folks, another dandy of my belle France. A castle worth the detour to royal Maintenon in deep country France. Hope you enjoy the new post on the castle of Maintenon as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 