Château de la Trousse is a stately home situated in the commune of

Ocquerre Ocquerre () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Demographics Inhabitants are called ''Ocquerrois''. See also *Communes of the Seine-et-Marne department The following is a list o ...

in the Seine-et-Marne department in the

Île-de-France , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 = +01:00 , timezone1_DST = CEST , utc_offset1_DST = +02:00 , blank_name_sec1 = Gross regional product , blank_info_sec1 = Ranked 1st , bla ...

region in north-central

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

History

The original château was built around 1630 in the reign of

Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown ...

by Sebastian le Hardy whose family lived there until 1791.

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Vers ...

is said to have visited around 1651 and commented that the chateau was "''bien troussé''" ("well fitted-out"), perhaps suggesting the origin of the name Château de la Trousse. The King bestowed the title of Marquis on the le Hardy family in 1651. The château was renovated and improved during the 1680s when the then owner, Marquis Phillipe-August le Hardy, employed the services of the famous architect

Liberal Bruant Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

, the architect of the

Hotel des Invalides The Hôtel des Invalides ( en, "house of invalids"), commonly called Les Invalides (), is a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as ...

in Paris. In 1684, their only child, Marie-Henriette le Hardy, married a north Italian prince, Amede-Adolphe dal Pozzo, Marquis de Vognere. Phillipe-August le Hardy died in 1691 and Amede and Marie-Henriette dal Pozzo inherited the estate. Their granddaughter subsequently inherited and sold the estate in 1791 to a new family, Charles-Guillaume Baudon, the Comte de Mony Colchen. The estate fell into disrepair during the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

. In 1814, the Napoleonic army set fire to the orangery as a signal about the approaching Cossacks. In 1829, the owners allowed speculators to sell the building materials to raise much needed cash.

New château

In 1865, the grandson of the 1791 buyer, Count Charles-Victor Baudon de Mony-Colchen, completed the construction of the new château that stands today. He also arranged the renovation of the original orangery and stable courtyard (that date from 1630), and the new gardens. During the latter part of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, US troops were garrisoned at the château in conjunction with the battles at Château Thierry and Belleau Wood. When the war ended, the Count erected the war memorial at the entrance to the château on the D401, in gratitude that his son had survived. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, La Trousse was commandeered by the Germans and the attics of the courtyard were used as a field hospital. Allied troops advanced from Normandy and reached La Trousse on August 24, 1944. A tank battle ensued and a German tank was hit on the driveway. Fighting ceased the following day when Paris was liberated on August 25, 1944. The château stayed in the ownership of the Baudon family until 1998 when Count Xavier Baudon de Mony sold the estate to a Dutch owner, Hans Musegaas. The de Mony family could not afford the rising costs of upkeep and the children decided they could not take on the responsibilities. The château and buildings have since been renovated and divided into a number of private apartments. The co-owners take joint responsibility for the upkeep and improvements to the château and its 40-acre estate. Notable features at Château de la Trousse include the chapel, the prison and pigeonary.
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References

{{coord, 49.01902, 3.06974, format=dms, type:landmark_region:FR, display=title Castles in Île-de-France Buildings and structures completed in the 17th century