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. The town of Chevreuse is located in the Yvelines department 78 in the Île-de-France region of my belle France, Therefore, here is my take on the the château de Méridon of Chevreuse !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The Château de Méridon dates from the end of the 19C. It is located in a 7-hectare park, located in the heart of the Haute Vallée de Chevreuse Regional Natural Park. In 1382, the confession for the possession of the land of Méridon took place. A house and an old castle and drawbridges were built in the years that followed.
The fief of Méridon then depended on the castellany of Chevreuse. This estate was subsequently destroyed and then rebuilt in the 19C to become the Château de Méridon in a neo-Renaissance style. In the 13C, Archambault received the fief of Méridon from Pierre de Chevreuse. In 1464, Jean Langlois took over the fief but the manor was declared in ruins, a consequence of the Hundred Years’ War. The manor was described « as a hotel and manor house with a courtyard, barns, stables, sheepfolds, dovecote and a small tower used as a prison and auditorium for dispensing justice. All enclosed by walls with a large garden and other gardens surrounding the hotel and large quantities of pastures and grazing land converted into high woods by fortune of the wars ». In 1601, it was the first time that the term castle was given to the hotel of Méridon The fief, land, seigneury and château of Méridon consisted of two large main buildings, manor houses enclosed by high crenellated walls, a dovecote, a wine press with stable and courtyard, a small tower used as a prison and an auditorium for holding court; all enclosed by walls and moats with drawbridges; of the 18c. In the 18c, the Château de Méridon regularly welcomed King Louis XV, who used the fief as a hunting ground, accompanied by his notables. The castle was then nothing but ruins. The Marquès di Braga, director of Crédit Foncier, acquired the land and, until 1883, built the current neo-Renaissance style castle on the site of the old castle. The château’s style can be described as neo-Renaissance. Featuring turrets, mullioned windows, balconnets and stained glass windows, the château also had an English park to the front of the site, and a French park to the right, for a total surface area of 7 hectares. In 1908, the estate was purchased by the Marquis de Breteuil, who converted it into a hunting lodge. In 1909, he rented it to Henry White, the American ambassador to Paris. Madame Sullivan, an aristocrat of American origin, lived there between WWI and WWII, it was renowned as one of the finest and best-maintained estates in the region. Madame Sullivan created sumptuous evening events for her family and friends, making the Méridon estate a sought-after holiday resort reserved for an exclusive circle. After WWII, the estate was leased from 1946 by a Dutch association to establish a Centre for Continuing Education. The center’s initial purpose was to train Dutch farmers who wanted to immigrate to France. The association known as “the Franco-Dutch Cultural Center” purchased the property in 1958 and organized educational and cultural courses there until 2013 when it sold the property to a Breton family. Since 2013, the Château de Méridon has once again become a private property used for events, hosting weddings, seminars, and corporate evenings. The château was sold to Céline and Éric David, a Parisian family, in 2022. In 2026, new developments are planned in the gardens, which will further enhance the Domaine de Méridon, restoring it to its former glory. The first part of the landscape redevelopment will involve recreating the original gravel paths in the Médicis garden. This garden and the box garden, both created by Madame Sullivan in the early 1920s, are references to Château de Méridon’s French heritage. The second and third parts of the landscaping will redesign the arboretums created by our predecessors.
The official Château de Méridon : https://chateaudemeridon.com/
The town of Chevreuse on the château de Méridon : https://www.chevreuse.fr/fr/decouvrir-chevreuse/patrimoine/263-chateau-de-meridon
The parc naturelle de la Chevreuse on the château de Méridon : https://www.parc-naturel-chevreuse.fr/de-chevreuse-meridon-dun-chateau-lautre-la-nature-en-plein-hiver
The Yvelines dept 78 tourist office on the castle route of the Chevreuse (see no 21) :https://www.destination-yvelines.fr/randonnees-a-velo/route-des-chateaux-de-chevreuse/
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 Méridon of Chevreuse !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 