Curiosities of Maintenon !!!

Posted in Food and Wine, France

As I am looking at this older post feel is time to updated with new text and links, One of the picturesque quant villages of my belle France. I used to visit often before moving to Bretagne but still many nice memories with the family. I have written enough on the castle of Mme de Maintenon but the village has more , therefore, here is my take on the curiosities of Maintenon !!! Hope you enjoy it as I

Maintenon is located in the department 28 of the Eure-et-Loir in the Centre-Val de Loire region of my belle France. It is about 65 kms (40 miles) from Paris and 47 kms ( 29 miles) from Versailles. From Versailles we rode into the D10 , running parallel to the Orangerie of the Palace of Versailles that becomes out of town limits the N10 direction Rambouillet, once passing Rambouillet take the road D176 direction Epernon (see post), and then take the road D906 direction Maintenon, free no tolls. From Paris you can drive on the A13 direction Rouen then the A12 , then back into the N10 and at Rambouillet take the D906 until Maintenon or by the A11 exit sortie 1 at Ablis direction Gallardon the Bailleau-Armenonville and follow signs to Maintenon. You can come by train from Montparnasse to the train station in Maintenon ,but never taken trains here.

The arches of the aqueduct bridge which follow one another over more than 4 km and cross the park of Maintenon, made the visual celebrity of this work which was to divert the waters of the Eure river towards the royal residences of Versailles and Marly (see posts)  The construction of the aqueduct began in 1685 with Vauban as director of works and La Hire as director of earthworks. In 1695, the funds were empty , and the works cease definitively. There were 29 km remaining and some additional work to bring the waters of the Eure to the waterfalls of Versailles. Louis XIV donated the unfinished aqueduct to Madame de Maintenon. The Canal of Louis XIV:  This canal, built from Pontgouin to Maintenon between 1685 and 1692 to supply water to the fountains of the Palace of Versailles, has never been completed. Vauban was the master builder. It was through this bridge that entry into Maintenon was made until 1838. It was Louis XIV who ordered the construction of the Pont Rouge or red bridge in the years 1685-1686, following major work undertaken in the park of the castle . The legend attributes its name to the color of the uniform of the soldiers in charge of its guard.

maintenon-chateau-to-back-garden-looking-at-aqueduct apr11

maintenon-water-canal-on-eure-river apr11

Maintenon has two parish Churches :There is a Church St Pierre (not been in yet) It shows here from the 12C, and there remains no trace of its previous constructions. Indeed, the church was completely destroyed during the wars of religion. Rebuilt at the end of the 17C or about 1694, this charming Baroque church, the only one in the department in this style, was financed by donations from Madame de Maintenon. And the Church of Saint-Nicolas with the Duke of Noailles and Marshal of France as sponsored. This Collegiate Church of Saint Nicolas,(see pic) attached to the orangery of the castle, was rebuilt between 1506 and 1522 in place of the church of the Notre-Dame de Maintenon priory. The church built by Jean Cottereau, treasurer of finance of François I; the charter of 1522, promulgated by Jean Cottereau, successor of the lords of Maintenon, the Church Saint Nicolas, enlarged, restored and henceforth dedicated to Saint Nicolas, is erected as a collegiate church. It is a 33 meters high with a single nave 28.50 x 6.80 meters, flanked by two chapels forming a transept 15 meters long. It has been found certain tombs from the 14-15C, and others from the beginning of the 16C. No individual burial after the 16C has not been uncovered, The anthropological study has made it possible to count a minimum of 12 individuals in the surveyed part, whose surface is less than one square meter!

maintenon-ch-st-nicolas-next-to-chateau apr11

And of course a nice city/town hall, that is by the place Aristide Briand /Rue St Pierre as well as the post office building, next to castle and church. This is a nice village town for walks on end and good food by the castle on Le Soleil former Brasserie St Denis. Which for memories’s sake here is the former Brasserie Le Saint Denis pictures.  As it was when we had our lunches there while visiting the town and castle,

maintenon-hotel-de-ville apr11

maintenon-city-center-to-post-office apr11

The  City of Maintenon on its history: https://www.maintenon.fr/histoire-de-la-ville-_l_FR_r_21.html

The local Chartres Tourist office on the château de Maintenon: https://www.chartres-tourisme.com/en/do-not-miss/maintenon-castle

There you go folks, a dandy royal town of my belle France, this is Maintenon and it is worth a detour, me think. Again, hope you have enjoy the post on the curiosities of Maintenon as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

Unknown's avatar

Published by pedmar10

I am a lover of travels to Europe , Americas , Africa and Asia as well ,who like to share my experiences of the last 53 years with the world, visiting so far 81 countries; living in 6, working in 5, and Citizen of 4, speaking fluently 4 languages. I can deal with sports especially football/soccer and love music, arts, wine collector/drinker, and go out to restaurants, and just visit the world. My background comes all the way from Candelaria and Pajara in Tenerife, Spain where my grandparents came from ;not knowing each other then, to Punta Brava, west of Havana, Cuba. There , my parents born in Cuba met and later on I was born there too. 100% guanche (annexed Tenerife to Spain on April 10 ,1496). I left Cuba as many have to Madrid, Spain where I lived for 4 years. Then, move to Perth Amboy ,New Jersey USA (living there 13 yrs) ; where I completed high school, became a US Citizen, learned to drive a car, and learned English. Afterward, went to the university in Florida, ERAU, and upon graduation decided to moved there to Ormond by the Sea, near Daytona Beach, finally moving North Miami, then Hialeah, then another moved to Silver Lakes division in Miramar, Broward county, Florida; in Florida I lived a total of 18 years. Finally , moved to France in 2003 ,Versailles call me for its royalty, and working in Paris was great. It was time to seek frontiers again and moved to Brech near Auray, Morbihan in Brittany , and later move to not too far Pluvigner. Total so far in France has been 20 years, and counting. Moving average a home every 5.5 years hopefully this will be my last. Cheers All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means or stored in a retrieval system of any nature, without the written permission of the copyright holder, me. No part of this work may be modified, without the written permission of the holder, me.No part of this work may be exposed to public view in any form or by any means, without identifying the holder as the author, and with the before mentioned permission.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.