A treasure in of the Vexin
Villarceaux, romance and French History
Located in the town of Chaussy, in the French Vexin region, Villarceaux is a vast 800-hectare property.
Now owned by the Meyer Foundation, it has been divided into 3 parts:
The historic ownership, with its remarkable gardens and ancient buildings,
a golf course with a restaurant,
and an organic farm, the Bergerie
Visit Villarceaux
The historic property itself comprises almost 63 hectares of walled gardens and old buildings. Since 1989, the management of this listed monument has been entrusted to the Ile-de-France region.
It is open to the public for free on afternoons from April to October (except Mondays).
A visit guide is available at reception, and you're off for a pleasant walk through the varied gardens, and a tour of the inside of the 18th-century Castle's furnished rooms on the hillside.
And if you're a real history buff, you can book a guided tour with one of our expert guides, who will reveal all the secrets of the Castle during the 2-hour visit. (Please ask at reception for a list of guides).
This season activities and events add to the magic of the site.
Concerts, theater, costume parties during the "Rendez-vous aux jardins" in June, Heritage Days in September, Plant Festival in October... well something for everyone !
Certified gardens
The walk begins at the bottom of the valley, at the water's edge.
The gardens, gradually recreated over the last thirty years, have returned to the terraces.
Water, present everywhere, adorns the boxwood beds replanted according to ancient plans. Shrubs have been trimmed back, paths redesigned around the ponds and banks consolidated.
Reminding of the successive eras that the site has known, different styles are now found side by side in the gardens.
Visitors move from medieval-inspired squares, with their medicinal plants, to the “water garden”, whose purely decorative geometric motifs were created in the 16th century under Italian influence.
A walk along the ponds then leads to the park, whose layout dates back to the 18th century, as far as the vertugadin, the name given to the “sculpted” embankment used to create paths leading gently up to the High Castle...
The Castles
Along the banks of the Rû river in Chaussy you can find the oldest buildings of Villarceaux. Round towers and remains of walls are reminders of the medieval layout of a fortified dwelling, certainly supplemented by farm buildings.
In the 16th century, the Lords of Mornay transformed the old buildings into elegant pleasure residences. With its manor house, grand gallery overlooking the gardens and spacious stables, the place became chic and fashionable.
It was in this landscape that Ninon de Lenclos, a famous courtesan during the reign of Louis XIV, came to shelter her love affair with Louis de Mornay, abandoning her tumultuous life in Paris for a few months.
Later, in the 18th century, the new owner reorganized the park and built a castle at the top of the hill, opening up an impressive view over the valley.
The High Castle became the place where the Marquis and his guests lived out their social lives, leaving the other buildings to serve secondary functions.
Decorated in the fashion of the time, the living rooms still retain much of their original furniture and paintings, which visitors can discover on the first floor.
