The Château de Voisins is a neoclassical mansion located in
Louveciennes, in the department of
Yvelines, France. It is 8 kilometres north of
Versailles, and 20 kilometres east from the centre of Paris.
The first château on the site was built between 1650 and 1675. In 1696, probably due to its proximity to
Versailles, the château was bought by
the Marquis de Cavoye, Grand Marshall of the household of
Louis XIV. During the late 18th century, the château became the property of
Louise Élisabeth de Bourbon-Condé, Princess de Conti (1693–1775). A granddaughter of Louis XIV and
Madame de Montespan, the princess had the château rebuilt to designs of
Claude-Nicolas Ledoux. The princess is most notable as the woman who officially presented
Madame de Pompadour
Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour (, ; 29 December 1721 – 15 April 1764), commonly known as Madame de Pompadour, was a member of the French court. She was the official chief mistress of King Louis XV from 1745 to 1751, and rema ...
to the court of King
Louis XV at Versailles, in return for settlement of her debts by the king.
Circa 1820, a new owner, the Comte de Turtot Hocquart, finding the château old fashioned, had it remodelled. In 1857, the estate was sold again, and purchased by Charles Tavernier, who built the lodge and redesigned and landscaped the grounds. In 1874, Tavernier gave the chateau to the banker
Julius Beer, who gave it to his son William. William's wife Elena created a notable literary salon there. It was at the chateau that
Leconte de Lisle
Charles Marie René Leconte de Lisle (; 22 October 1818 – 17 July 1894) was a French poet of the Parnassian movement. He is traditionally known by his surname only, Leconte de Lisle''.
Biography
Leconte de Lisle was born on the French overseas ...
wrote his work La Rose de Louveciennes. The poet died while staying at the chateau's classical garden pavilion in 1894.
The mansion is designed on an "H" plan, with the two extending wings joined by an open
loggia on the southern entrance facade, and on the northern garden facade by an orangery. On the eastern side is low, unobtrusive wing containing the kitchens and domestic offices. The main block is of three floors, with five principal rooms on the ground floor. The low hipped roof is concealed by a closed
parapet.
Following William's death in 1913, his widow retained use of the garden pavilion, but the estate passed to a relative, the banker and collector
Robert de Rothschild
Robert Philippe Gustave de Rothschild (19 January 1880 – 25 December 1946) was a French banker, philanthropist and polo player.
Early life
Robert de Rothschild was born on 19 January 1880 in Paris, France. (1880–1946). On his death, the estate was sold. France's
Banque nationale pour le commerce et l'industrie
The ''Banque nationale pour le commerce et l'industrie'' (BNCI, "National Bank for Trade and Industry") was a major French bank, active from 1932 to 1966 when it merged with Comptoir national d'escompte de Paris to form Banque Nationale de Paris ...
(BNCI) purchased the property in 1946. As of 2022, it remains the property of BNCI's successor
BNP Paribas
BNP Paribas is a French international banking group, founded in 2000 from the merger between Banque Nationale de Paris (BNP, "National Bank of Paris") and Paribas, formerly known as the Banque de Paris et des Pays-Bas. The full name of the grou ...
, which operates it as an executive training center.
The mansion has been registered as a
monument historique
''Monument historique'' () is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which National Heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a coll ...
since 10 February 1948.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Louveciennes, Chateau De
Châteaux in Yvelines
Neoclassical architecture in France
BNP Paribas