CHATEAU DU MARAIS

CHATEAU DU MARAIS EFTA00800058 THE ARCHITECTURE Chateau du Marais was spared the ravages of the French Revolution and remains intact to this day. The east-facing facade's beautiful yellow ochre stone catches the morning sunshine, and in the afternoon the west-facing facade and The Mirror water feature bask in the sun. Architect Jean Benoit Vincent Barre was an admirer of Andrea Palladio (15O8-158O). and the Italian architect's influence is clearly evident in the chateau's design. Proportioned to approximate the golden ratio. Château du Marais displays a remarkable symmetry and balance both inside and out. "THE CHÂTEAU, THE OUTBUILDINGS AND THE PARK ARE LISTED AS A NATIONAL HISTORIC MONUMENT" The residence was built on the eastern edge of a platform surrounded by water-filled moats, which previously formed the main courtyard of the original medieval building. The northwestern and southwestern corners of this platform feature two pavilions which are thought to have replaced earlier pavilions that demarcated the boundaries of the courtyard. The chateau itself features classic 18th- century design elements, such as a mansard roof and recessed limestone facade with a central five-bay avant-corps and a lateral single-bay avant-corps. 10 EFTA00800059 I I I I EFTA00800060 EFTA00800061 EFTA00800062 "A LITTLE PIECE OF HEAVEN" - JEAN•PIERRE CLARIS DE FLORIAN • 50 kilometers south of Paris and to the southeast of Versailles • 48 kilometers from Orly airport • 7 kilometers from the A1O motorway (Paris. Orleans. Pays de la Loire. Bordeaux) EFTA00800063 THE HISTORY OF THE CHATEAU Completed in 1779. Chateau du Marais was built on the site of two former châteaux. The dungeons and wide. water-filled moats remain from the original 14th-century structure, as do the leith-century plantings of the surrounding 100-hectare (247-acre) parkland. In 1772 preeminent Parisian architect Jean Benoit Vincent Barre was commissioned by French nobleman Jean Le Maitre de La Martiniere to build what was to become one of the finest Louis XVI-style châteaux in the Paris region. Barre designed "Le Marais" around its reflecting pool, "The Mirror," expanded to 550 meters by 55 meters (1,804 by 180 feet). The result was an Italian peristyle structure with intricate friezes crafted by the era's finest sculptors, and an elegant two-level glazed passageway spanning the moats to connect the 18th-century residence with its medieval foundations. The château was widely acclaimed by Sarre's peers: The Marquis de BombeIles, a close relation of Marie Antoinette. noted in his diary that "a mere civilian has built a château worthy of royalty." while the Baron de Frenilly described Le Marais as a "fairy castle." 6 EFTA00800064 EFTA00800065 EFTA00800066 THE CHATEAU PRINCIPAL FLOORS: 1,750 SQM (18,836.84 SQ FT) 04.00.0-0 • Courtyard level: service rooms. two entries with access to the glazed bridge passage, caretaker's accommodation, and four additional rooms • Piano Nobile (main floor): grand reception room, two drawing rooms, antechamber, dining room. three paneled apartments, chapel, kitchen, and storage room • Second floor: a wide landing with access to eleven luxurious bedrooms with fireplaces and antique mirrors, eight bathrooms, and three boudoirs • Top floor four-room apartment with kitchenette and bathroom: eight mansard rooms • 0ome level: two bedrooms and an alcove • Additional amenities: central heating; water sourced from a natural spring within the grounds EFTA00800067 el I EFTA00800068 The chapel features trompe hoed decor attributed to Belgian painter Piat Sauvage (1744-1818). a member of France's royal academy of painting and sculpture. EFTA00800069 17 EFTA00800070 THE OUTBUILDINGS 1,300 siztm (13,993.08 SQ, FT) • Courtyard level: original stables, garage, former dungeons. two salons with antique fireplaces, a kitchen, five staircases, a boiler room (heating the chateau). two boilers (heating the outbuildings), and three oil tanks • Upper floor: nineteen rooms including ten bathrooms and six kitchens/kitchenettes • Mansard top floor: twelve rooms including two salons with fireplaces. seven bathrooms. and two kitchens 18 EFTA00800071 EFTA00800072 THE PARK AND GARDENS 100 HECTARES (247 ACRES) Transformed into an English-style garden in the early 19th century, the park was designed by landscape designer Achille Duchene between 1903 and 1906 for the Marquis de CasteIlene (1867-1932). The main water feature is an extension of a former canal and is fed by the Remarde river (a tributary of the River Orge). • To the west. a water feature reflecting the château. "The Mirror." spans 550 meters long by 55 meters wide. It is fed by the "Fontaine Moreau- spring in the marshland bordering the park • To the east. canals surround a French Formal garden designed by landscape architect Achille Duchene • To the north, a majestic drive lined by plane trees leads from the entrance gates towards the château. From end to end. the drive is bordered by about 30 hectares (approximately 74 acres) of fields and woodland • To the south, the land is at a slight elevation and features 25 hectares (approximately 61 acres) of mature woodland traversed by paths and offering delightful views • Bordering the park, 7 additional hectares (approximately 17 acres) of wooded farmland is available for purchase EFTA00800073 EFTA00800074 PAVILLON DU PARC 150 SOM (1.614.59 SO FT) • Four rooms including a bathroom and kitchen • Gas heating; mains water supply PAVILLON DE LA GRILLE 142 SOM (1.528.48 SO FT) • Three rooms: two bathrooms and a kitchen • Oil heating; mains water supply THE MILL • Renovated in the 19th century in the neo-Gothic style • Ideal as an exhibition space 22 EFTA00800075 alL naterile eCii. 11 rtes..? it !I if iI 'VII II IT If EFTA00800076 The parkland, formerly dense woods and rambling meadows, is today a tranquil oasis of greenery. with centuries -old trees. sparkling moats, and sun-drenched paths. 24 EFTA00800077 • Historic chateau with 100 hectares (247 acres) of parkland and gardens • 874 square meters (9.117 square feet) of living space on each principal floor, plus a courtyard level, mansard top floor, and a dome • Outbuildings encompassing 1,300 square meters (13,993 square feet): stables, a garage, two pavilions, and a former mill • Private water supply sourced from a natural spring on the property "THE CHATEAU, THE OUTBUILDINGS AND THE PARK ARE LISTED AS A NATIONAL HISTORIC MONUMENT" • An outstanding example of Louis XVI-style architecture, the chateau Is unparalleled both Inside and out • A remarkable witness to history, this rare chateau remained intact during the French Revolution • A magnificent property in harmony with its beautiful setting 25 EFTA00800078 I I EFTA00800079 I _ I EFTA00800080 I I I I EFTA00800081