Paris1972-Versailles2003

This is a nice village and a wonderful off the beaten path visit of Saint Forget in the Chevreuse valley. I am glad to have found me some pictures in my cd rom vault that should be in my blog for you and me. When I was in Versailles, I came by this town on my road warrior trails and glad I did. Therefore, here is my take on this is Saint Forget and its castle !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The village of Saint-Forget is located in the Yvelines department no 78, in the Île-de-France region of my belle France. It is located 2 km from Chevreuse, 3 km from Choisel, 3 km from Dampierre-en-Yvelines, 9 km from Le Mesnil-Saint-Denis, 18 km from Rambouillet, 21 km from Versailles, and 452 km from my current home. The village is crossed by the D58 road which connects Dampierre-en-Yvelines with Chevreuse and the D906 as well as the D91 which connects Dampierre-en-Yvelines to Voisins-le-Bretonneux and Versailles. The latter is renowned, particularly in the cycling world, for being, in the Saint-Forget area, the Route des 17 Tournants, commonly known as the Côte des 17 Tournants. We came here from Versailles, going across City by the potager du roi and Parc Balbi (see posts) continue on Rue du Maréchal Joffre (D91) which same road becomes the Avenue Clément Ader passing by the Satory forest and underneath the N12 highway continue by now Route de Dampierre passing by Guyancourt and Voisins le Bretonneux and continue on the D91 road passing the Abbey of Port Royal des Champs (see post) continue to Dampierre en Yvelines thru very curvy roads passed the Domaine/château de Dampierre and continue becoming again the Route de Dampierre and changing to the D58 road for about 2 km until on the right hand side see panel for Château de Mauviéres.

The château de Mauviéres, originally a stately home, dates mainly from the 17-18C. In the 14C, Ramond de la Rivière was given the fiefdom of Mauvières by the Duke of Anjou for having recaptured the town of Bergerac from the English in 1377; he added the name Bergerac to it and became Lord of Mauvières and Bergerac. In 1582, the estate became the property of the grandfather of the musketeer-writer Cyrano de Bergerac, who spent part of his youth there.

The château was built on the remains of the modest home of the Cyrano de Bergerac family. Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac was a 17C French poet and freethinker. His life notably inspired Edmond Rostand’s play Cyrano de Bergerac, premiered in 1897 and adapted many times. It was the home to the Cyrano de Bergerac family,the château has retained its 18C appearance: an English-style park and extensive outbuildings, including a beautiful Louis XIII dovecote. French-style water gardens and contemporary sculptures are also featured. It offers guests seeking peace and comfort in an exceptional location five fully renovated, spacious rooms, all overlooking the park. Receptions and seminars for 200 people, 4 rooms, catering available. It can,also, be visited with appt, I just went by and took a peek for a picture…..

Other thing to see here me think is the Church Saint Ferréol aka Chapelle Saint Gilles dating from the 12C, and renovated in the 14C, again 17C, and again in the 18C.

A bit of history tell us that the first lord was Bernard de Malvéris, in the 12C. His fiefdom then depended on the County of Montfort. The castle was given, along with its farm, its mill on the river, and its lands, notably those of Sous-Forêt, to the west of the estate, to Raymond de la Rivière de la Martigne. This gift rewarded him for his heroic conduct in the war against the English, during the recapture of the town of Bergerac in 1450. He and his descendants thus became the lords of Mauvières de Bergerac. In 1582, Lord Savinien de Cirano bought the estate from the last heir of the Mauvières de Bergerac family. In 1636, his son Abel de Cirano (father of Cyrano de Bergerac) sold the estate and it was resold again in 1738. The central body was thus surmounted by a triangular pediment. Two wings concealed the towers. The windows were enlarged and the castle received a Mansart-style roof frame. In 1783, the castle was rented for life to the Marquis Féron de la Ferronnais. However, he emigrated in 1791 during the French revolution, and the property was seized… that is to say, the lease and not the castle itself. The Republic (France) sold the lease by auction to Louis Trufet in February 1795. In 1796, the lease was canceled and Trufet now had ownership and enjoyment of it. In 1803, Mathieu Saint-Laurent, a notary in Paris, bought the estate. He was commissioned by Napoleon to raise Charles Léon Dunuelle there. This natural son, whom the emperor had with a servant of his sister Caroline, would later be known as Count Léon. As a reward for this mission, which appears to have been no easy task, Saint-Laurent was appointed prefect and Baron of Mauvières. In 1857 the château passed by succession to the Duchess of Lesparre, then to the family of the Count of Bryas with current owner Etienne de Bryas, During WWII , it was occupied successively by French, nazis and then American troops.

The Parc Naturel Régional de la Haute Vallée de Chevreuse on the castle : https://www.parc-naturel-chevreuse.fr/chateau-de-mauvieres

The Village of Saint Forget on its heritage : https://www.saint-forget.fr/patrimoine/

The official Château de Mauviéres : https://www.mauvieres.com/#lieu

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 Saint Forget,  there is a lot more in my belle France. Again ,hope you enjoy this post on this is Saint Forget and its castle !!! as I.

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