We have been lucky enough to visit Maintenon a couple times when living in Versailles, and even before coming to France. I have other post on the castle ext/int, but found me pictures in my cd rom vault that allow me to do this post for you and me. For reference, the town of Maintenon is located in the Eure-et-Loir department no 28 of the Centre Val de Loire region in my belle France, Therefore, here is my take on the Château de Maintenon, gardens !!! Hope you enjoy this post as I.
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, slep in the castle in 1830.
In 1676, on the orders of King Louis XIV, Le Nôtre was sent to Maintenon to design the plans for the château’s park. Thanks to an original plan from the Robert de Cotte collection, dated 1686 and rediscovered in the archives of the National Library of France, the formal French gardens of the Château de Maintenon have been restored to recreate a parterre faithful to the spirit of the period, respecting the château’s vistas as far as the aqueduct. For Maintenon, André Le Nôtre chose to dig a canal passing under the aqueduct, bordered by two planted avenues, one of which bears his name; the other, called Racine, commemorates the famous poet who worked at Maintenon on the tragedies “Esther” and “Athalie.” He envisioned a parterre surrounded by water on the right and a triangular parterre composed of intricate patterns. The execution of this exceptional project was entrusted to Patrick Pottier, the head gardener of the Château du Champ-de-Bataille, whose owner is none other than the renowned interior designer Jacques Garcia.
The redesign of the flowerbeds was entirely carried out by the Eure-et-Loir Departmental Council’s Parks and Gardens Department, permanently adorning the garden with 12,000 boxwood plants forming the borders, 65 standard roses, 58 shaped topiary, 60 trained yew trees, and more. A new garden for every season! In spring, 15,000 “Violette Sky” tulip bulbs announce the return of the warmer weather. In summer, 2,000 pink impatiens and 2,000 blue and white sage plants create a sublime carpet! The pathways and main intersections are illuminated with low-angle, even lighting: 154 spotlights are installed on the ground. Topiary lighting: 291 spotlights: 3 or 4 sections per topiary, Moat lighting: 16 spotlights (8 on each side), Aqueduct lighting: 14 spotlights, including 11 underwater. Sound system for the garden with 27 speakers. Nighttime tours of the illuminated garden are available during the summer season.
The arches of the aqueduct 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 1688 , the War of the League of Augsburg broke out, slowing construction. 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 enormous, unfinished aqueduct that cuts across the Maintenon estate is a tangible manifestation of a monarch’s whims. The structure, the only civil building constructed by Vauban, was a colossal undertaking and was intended to carry the waters of the Eure river to the fountains of the Palace of Versailles. Once perceived as an eyesore in the palace grounds, its ruins now lend it a romantic, English-style charm. To compensate her for the damage to the park caused by the construction, Louis XIV gifted the unfinished aqueduct to Madame de Maintenon and bestowed upon her the title of marquise.
The official Château de Maintenon: https://www.chateaudemaintenon.fr/en/discover-chateau
The City of Maintenon on its history/heritage: https://www.maintenon.fr/se-balader-a-maintenon-_l_FR_r_22.html
The Eure et Loir dept 28 Tourist board on the Château de Maintenon: https://www.tourisme28.com/site_monument/chateau-de-maintenon/
The official parcs et jardins of France on the garden of the Château de Maintenon : https://www.parcsetjardins.fr/jardins/1047-jardin-du-chateau-de-maintenon
The Friends of the Château de Maintenon : https://www.amisduchateaudemaintenon.fr/
There you go folks, another dandy of the castles of the Centre Val de Loire region. A castle worth the detour to royal Maintenon in deep country ,the real France. Again, hope you enjoy the post on the Château de Maintenon, gardens !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 