Château de Cirey

The Château de Cirey was built by Louis-Jules du Châtelet starting in 1642. The baroque style castle was built to the foundations of the old castle. Before his death in 1671, only one tower and an extension were built, of the planned structure with four towers and three wings.

The castle became famous in the second half of the 18th century when it was the home of the Marquis Florent-Claude du Châtelet. He was a lieutenant general in the army of Louis XV and had married the 18 year-old Émilie Le Tonnelier de Breteuil in 1724. The couple had three children before Émilie met Voltaire in Paris in 1733 and began a relationship with him. With the consent of the Marquis, Voltaire moved to Cirey.

When Voltaire arrived in 1734 he found a somewhat run-down building in the style of Louis XIII in red brick and pale stone. He set renovations in hand, and between 1734 and 1735 he had a new wing built, in which the couple installed their laboratory and a library of 21,000 books. In the following years, until the early death of Madame du Châtelet in 1749, Cirey was a meeting point for literati and intellectuals from every part of France.

Architecture

The chateau stands on the bank of the river Blaise and consists of the main building and a large southwestern outer bailey. Together with several other buildings, these structures all lie within an English landscape garden.

The main chateau building consists of a large pavilion tower with a square floor plan and a tented roof. Connected to this on the south side is an extension, built in the 17th century at the same time as the tower. The L-shaped gallery wing, which adjoins the pavilion on its west side, dates from the 18th century. It has an elaborately designed portal that was built according to Voltaire's designs, with reliefs indicating his interest in the sciences, philosophy and the arts.

One of the oldest private theaters in France is located on the top floor, set up by Voltaire in 1735 to rehearse the plays he wrote during those years.

The chateau complex includes a large landscaped garden, dating back to the mid-15th century.

References:

• Wikipedia

Address

Village 35, Cirey-sur-Blaise, France

Details

Founded: 1642
Category: Castles and fortifications in France