En un regard
Le château en bref
Originating from a medieval fortress that belonged to the House of Guise, the estate of Pont-sur-Seine was bought in 1632 by Claude Bouthillier de Chavigny, superintendent of finances to Louis XIII, who had a château built to plans by the architect Pierre Le Muet (1632-1642), described by the Grande Mademoiselle as "one of the most beautiful houses in France". Acquired in 1775 by Prince Francis Xavier of Saxony, it housed Letizia Bonaparte, mother of Napoleon, from 1805 to 1813; the Emperor had given it to her. Damaged by Prussian troops in 1814, the château was bought in ruins in 1820 by the industrialist Casimir Perier, whose son converted the former outbuildings into a residence, adding two pavilions and an Italian-style colonnade in 1821: it is this reworked ensemble that survives today. Sold by the Casimir-Perier family in 1980, the château remains private property and is not open to visitors; the park, gardens and outbuildings can be seen from outside.