The château de la Madeleine of Chevreuse !!!

Posted in France, Versailles

This is a nice town and a wonderful off the beaten path visit of Chevreuse. I am glad to have found me this picture in my cd rom vault that should be in my blog for you and me. When I was in Versailles, I came often to this town and walked all over it. Therefore, here is my take on the château de la Madeleine of Chevreuse !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The Château de la Madeleine is located in the village of Chevreuse in the Yvelines department 78, in the Île-de-France region of my belle France. In a well-preserved state, the castle overlooks the Chevreuse Valley. It belongs to the Yvelines Departmental Council and houses the headquarters of the Haute Vallée de Chevreuse Regional Natural Park since 1981,

The castle was built by a branch of the lords of Montlhéry-Rochefort. The lords of Chevreuse dedicated the castle chapel to Sainte-Marie-Madeleine attested in the 13C. Remains of a human head on a wall of the lower courtyard at the location where the chapel is seen on the 1697 plan and the 1785 stewardship plan. and this name extended to the castle itself. Its construction began between 1030 and 1090. It was commissioned by Gui I, Lord of Chevreuse. The existing fortifications were greatly improved during the reigns of Charles V and Charles VI, who financed the work with royal taxes. The work was completed under Louis XI. The defenses were completed by a 15-meter ditch. The barony of Chevreuse, which had been elevated to a duchy in 1545, was elevated to a duchy-peerage in 1612. In 1661, Jean Racine oversaw modifications to the keep; the path that runs from the abbey of Port-Royal des Champs to the center of Chevreuse via the Château de la Madeleine was named after him. The road leading to the château, called “La Côte de la Madeleine,” is officially called “Chemin de la Butte des Vignes” or path of hill of vineyards, because the south-facing slope beneath the castle was covered with vines until the arrival of phylloxera in 1860. It appears that the keep was partially restored in the 19C. The last modifications date from the 20C.

The château de la Madeleine standing on its rocky spur 80 meters above the town, the imposing fortress has been a beacon in the valley since the 11C. While its current appearance probably dates from the 15C, the whole has undergone some modifications over time, as evidenced by the remodeling of the keep, supervised by a certain Jean Racine… All that remains of this castle are the walls, the towers and the keep, which is not open to the public. From the southern curtain wall, the view of the town and the valley is breathtaking. It is a medieval jewel of the Ile-de-France region, invites you to immerse yourself in history. Located on the heights of Hautvilliers, it offers a breathtaking view of the Yvette valley. This medieval fortress has become an emblematic symbol of Chevreuse. It consists of a walled enclosure, built after the keep and completed in the 14C. It measures 70 meters along its long axis perpendicular to the ridgeline and 50 meters in width. The intact remains visible in the upper courtyard are as follows: a complete walled enclosure with two square towers facing the village; the main gate surrounded by two towers. The stone pediment has collapsed and been replaced by a wooden lintel; two round towers, one semicircular and the other topped with a watchtower; a keep with flat buttresses, of which small windows or openings from the 11C remain, and on the other facade, windows from the 14C or 15C; a 15C well; machicolations at the top of the ramparts. Free access to the inner courtyard, the ramparts offering a panoramic view of the Chevreuse valley, the guard tower and the cellars which showcase the history of the castle.

Its keep, surrounded by well-preserved ramparts and towers, takes you back to the Middle Ages. The inner courtyard, the Guard Tower, and the cellars, which feature the “Life in the Castle” exhibition, are all free to visit. You will discover the history of this site, which has endured turbulent times, from the Hundred Years’ War to the Wars of Religion, and has hosted great figures such as Jean Racine, who gave his name to the access road from the town to the castle.

The town of Chevreuse on the Château de la Madeleine : https://www.chevreuse.fr/fr/decouvrir-chevreuse/patrimoine/393-chateau-de-la-madeleine

The Yvelines dept 78 tourist office on the castle route of the Chevreuse (see no 6) :https://www.destination-yvelines.fr/randonnees-a-velo/route-des-chateaux-de-chevreuse/

The parc naturelle regional de la Haute Vallée de Chevreuse on the Château de la Madeleine : https://www.parc-naturel-chevreuse.fr/chateau-de-la-madeleine

There you go folks, enjoy this wonderful ride into the French soul, and the countryside of the Yvelines dept 78 at quant nice off the beaten path to Chevreuse,  there is a lot more in my belle France. Again ,hope you enjoy this post on the château de la Madeleine of Chevreuse !!! as I.

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

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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.

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