Domaine de Villarceaux, la perle du Vexin

Nicknamed “the pearl of the Vexin”, the Domaine de Villarceaux has existed since the 11th century, and is notably famous for having been home, 6 centuries later, to the love affairs of courtesan and woman of letters Ninon de Lenclos. Today, it's the 70-hectare park, 2 châteaux and numerous events offered on this listed site that attract visitors, whether history, nature or heritage lovers.

A unique and protected site, 65 km from Paris

Located in Chaussy, in the heart of the Vexin Regional Nature Park, this little-known site offers a real journey back in time, with its magnificent gardens evoking the Renaissance and its ancient châteaux prized by aristocrats in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Designated a remarkable garden, the park is historically renowned for its ponds and canals fed by 32 springs.
This hydraulic wealth is probably the origin of the name Villarceaux (contraction of villa - landed estate in ancient Roman - and eaux / water), which has enabled the site to build up a rich natural heritage over the centuries:

Large pond.
Water garden (one of the few preserved examples in France, with boxwood designs evoking the typical Renaissance embroidery parterres).
French garden.

Medicinal plant garden.
Vertugadin with 14 sculptures from a palace in Rome and a villa in Como.

This "sculpted" embankment, whose name refers to the basket skirts worn by aristocrats, is 530 m long and links the park to the Château du Haut, the latter being reflected in the "Ninon's mirror", another ornamental lake built in the 17th century.

All of which prompted the Île-de-France regional council and the site's current owner, the Charles Léopold Mayer Foundation for the Progress of Humankind, to make the site Europe's 1st “eco-managed” historic monument.

This approach aims, for example,

to protect water sources,
ban chemical fertilizers, weedkillers and pesticides in the upkeep of green spaces, and
harness geothermal energy to heat buildings.

All these virtuous actions were rewarded in 2012 with the Eve label (Ecological Green Space), even if the greatest reward is surely that Villarceaux is now a natural refuge for squirrels, foxes, rabbits and roe deer.

While they make their home in the estate's 40 hectares of woodland, birds (ducks, swans, grey herons, cormorants...) are particularly fond of the 3-hectare fish pond, part of which borders the historic buildings.

A rich heritage

Long before it became the seigneury of Villarceaux, the estate was organized almost autonomously around a first building: a small wooden castle around which Louis VII founded a Benedictine priory for women in the 12th century.
In the 15th century, this building gave way to a real fortified castle and, during the Hundred Years' War, it became part of the line of defense of the kingdom's borders.

During the Renaissance, Villarceaux gradually became a residence of pleasure, but fortunately, several vestiges of its medieval past have survived:

The Saint-Nicolas tower, its terrace hosting the garden of simples (medicinal plants) and its spring of water, constantly fresh and pure, which enabled the site's first occupants to resist attempts at poisoning or long sieges by outside assailants.

The Château du bas.

The main part of the château remains the manor house where Louis de Mornay used to discreetly meet his mistress Ninon de Lenclos. Famous in the libertine circles of the 17th century, the woman nicknamed “Notre Dame des Amours” enjoyed an exceptionally long relationship with the man who, much later, was less successful with Françoise d'Aubigné.

The Marquis welcomed her to Villarceaux after the death of her first husband, the poet Paul Scarron, and, also an artist at heart, immortalized the future Madame de Maintenon as Diane. A daring painting for its time, now on display in the dining room of the Château du haut.

The Château du haut.

Built in the Louis XV style on the site of the old feudal château, it dates back to the 18th century and still boasts a Court of Honor offering visitors a view, unique in the Île-de-France region, over the gardens and Vexin countryside.

In the vestibule, grand salon, library, dining room and marquee room, heritage enthusiasts can also admire original furniture, paintings and art objects.

The furnishings, with their paneling, rocailles and decorated panels, plunge us into the refined, aristocratic setting typical of the Age of Enlightenment.

An ambitious cultural program

Even if strolling through the gardens or visiting the architectural treasures of the Domaine de Villarceaux are enough to justify a visit to Chaussy, there are many other good reasons to come to the Val-d'Oise between spring and autumn. The proof is in this extract from the 2025 program (April 5 to November 2), which can be downloaded in detail here.

Enjoy nature

First flights in a hot-air balloon.
Introduction to beekeeping.
Night-time observations of wildlife (kite and bats),
Gourmet heritage days with producers and craftsmen from the Île-de-France region.
Discover the conservatory vegetable garden, dedicated to vegetables historically grown in the region.

To plunge into the past

An escape game to discover the past of the site and its emblematic characters.
Free guided tours every Saturday and Sunday.
Les Historiques, a big weekend in costume with a host of events.

For your entertainment

Saturdays in the countryside: picnic, music and dance show and/or musical shadow play, folk ball with orchestra...
Exhibitions of contemporary art from the Frac (Regional Contemporary Art Fund).
Workshop by artist-in-residence Ying Wang.
Un Temps pour Elles" music festival.
Apéro-concert with the Vexin conservatory big band.

Can't decide between all these activities?

You can combine them all by staying at the Bergerie de Villarceaux, an eco-site with 9 cottages and a catering service based on organic produce.

For a weekend, stay in the heart of the former châteaux' outbuildings and fully enjoy the heritage and natural heritage of this unique site just 10 km from La Roche-Guyon.

The only commune in the Ile-de-France region to have been awarded the “Most Beautiful Villages in France” label, this vacation spot for Impressionist painters (Renoir, Pissarro and Monet stayed here) may not have been frequented by Ninon de Lenclos, but other 19th-century writers such as Lamartine and Victor Hugo contributed to the fame of this Val-d'Oise region.

So don't hesitate to kill two birds with one stone when planning your next getaway to Ile-de-France.

Bonne découverte.

Valérie from Comme des Français

----

Continue reading with these articles