Château de Mont-l'Évêque

To thank him for his role in the Battle of Bouvines in 1214, King Philippe Auguste offered the site of Montleroy to Chancellor Guérin, bishop of Senlis. Half of the land was sold to build the Abbey of Victory and on the rest was built a residence for the Bishops called Mont-l’Évêque.

The Bishop set up his summer residence in the old fortified house on the banks of the Nonette River. Over the centuries, the castle is improved by additions and especially by the arrangement of the river to create ponds and supply water to mills. It was destroyed during the Hundred Years’ War and then rebuilt during the 16th century. It remained the property of the bishops of Senlis until the french Revolution.

The buildings are organized on the edge of a pond in the middle of a vast and remarkable park. In the center, the 18th century house built to receive the administrative services of the diocese, on each side the castle and the chapel.

A baron’s house

The buildings were purchased in 1806 by Baron Joseph-Xavier de Pontalba. The family had the facades of the castle and the chapel facing it completely redesigned in the neo-gothic or “troubadour” style. It is a question of reviving the medieval arts by decorating the facades with crenellations, arrows and gargoyles. Mont-l’Évêque is even considered to be one of the rare successful examples of this romantic style. A special feature in the chapel is the rood screen of the Carmelite convent in Metz, dating from the 14th century. It was for a long time stored in wooden crates in the home of Josephine de Beauharnais and bought by the Pontalba family, close to Napoleon’s wife.

The outside visit of the castle is authorized by the owner, a direct descendant of Joseph de Pontalba.

Practical information

References:

• destination.parc-oise-paysdefrance.fr

Address

Rue de Meaux 6, Mont-l'Évêque, France

Details

Founded: 16th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in France