The Château de Sourches is neoclassical château located in the commune of Saint-Symphorien, near Le Mans. The château was built between 1761 and 1786 for Louis II du Bouchet de Sourches, Marquis de Sourches, by the King's architect Gabriel de Lestrade with the help of the architect Jean-François Pradrel. It was inherited by Sourches' daughter-in-law, Louise-Élisabeth de Croÿ, Marquise de Tourzel (and future Duchess of Tourzel), Governess of the Children of France from July 1789, who took part in the flight to Varennes and was imprisoned at the Square du Temple with the royal family in August 1792 during the French Revolution. The château passed to the Pérusse des Cars family in 1845 who owned it until 1985.
In 2001, the château was bought by Hélène Martin and family, after which the château and the park were immediately reopened to the public. Major restoration work was undertaken with the help of the State, the Region and the Department. Many cultural and sporting events are organized there permanently, hunting festival, the first Sunday in July, agricultural shows, theater, cinema, concert, conferences.
References:The Clementinum is a historic complex of buildings in Prague. Until recently the complex hosted the National, University and Technical libraries, the City Library also being located nearby on Mariánské Náměstí. The Technical library and the Municipal library have moved to the Prague National Technical Library at Technická 6 since 2009. It is currently in use as the National Library of the Czech Republic.
Its history dates from the existence of a chapel dedicated to Saint Clement in the 11th century. A Dominican monastery was founded in the medieval period, which was transformed in 1556 to a Jesuit college. In 1622 the Jesuits transferred the library of Charles University to the Klementinum, and the college was merged with the University in 1654. The Jesuits remained until 1773, when the Klementinum was established as an observatory, library, and university by the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria.