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 ...

in the

Seine-et-Marne Seine-et-Marne () is a department in the Île-de-France region in Northern France. Named after the rivers Seine and Marne, it is the region's largest department with an area of 5,915 square kilometres (2,284 square miles); it roughly covers its ...

department in the

Île-de-France The Île-de-France (; ; ) is the most populous of the eighteen regions of France, with an official estimated population of 12,271,794 residents on 1 January 2023. Centered on the capital Paris, it is located in the north-central part of the cou ...

region in north-central

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

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 LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...

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 * Generally, a supporter of the political philosophy liberalism. Liberals may be politically left or right but tend to be centrist. * An adherent of a Liberal Party (See also Liberal parties by country ...

, the architect of the

Hotel des Invalides The Hôtel des Invalides (; ), commonly called (; ), 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 well as a hospital and an old soldi ...

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. In 1814, the Napoleonic army set fire to the

orangery An orangery or orangerie is a room or dedicated building, historically where orange and other fruit trees are protected during the winter, as a large form of greenhouse or conservatory. In the modern day an orangery could refer to either ...

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 or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, 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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, 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 pigeonry.People live here now.
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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