Historical background
A Castle with Two Faces
The Château de Montmirail has the unique feature of presenting two distinct faces. The first, facing the village, has a medieval appearance with its stone defensive towers and arrow slits. This façade contrasts sharply with the garden side, which is much more welcoming, featuring a brick wall decorated with a checkerboard pattern, numerous large windows, and a triangular pediment in a classical style. The site has thus evolved through the ages, transitioning from a medieval fortress to a Renaissance residence and beyond.
South-west side
North-East Entrance
A historic Meeting
In 1169, while the castle was still occupied by the same family for over a century—the Gouët family—Guillaume Gouët IV hosted the Kings of France and England, Louis VII and Henry II Plantagenet. They met in Montmirail to discuss, among other matters, the case of Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in the context of the conflict between the English crown and the church. This meeting was made possible by the family ties linking Guillaume Gouët IV to both monarchs, as well as the castle’s strategic location at the border between the two kingdoms at the time.
Destroyed by the Angevins, allies of Richard the Lionheart, at the end of the 12th century during the conflict with the French crown, the castle was gradually rebuilt, then later taken and destroyed again by the armies of the French king toward the end of the Hundred Years’ War. The second reconstruction, between the 15th and 16th centuries, explains its architecture—initially medieval, later influenced by the Renaissance.
The Flourishing 18th Century
The castle changed hands several times until the early 18th century, when it was acquired by Louis-Armand de Bourbon, Prince of Conti. In 1685, his wife, Marie-Anne de Bourbon, the legitimized daughter of Louis XIV and Mademoiselle de La Vallière, inherited it.
The exterior was enhanced with French formal gardens, and the interior was extensively remodeled to reflect the fashion of the time. The 19th and 20th centuries also brought architectural changes and modernization.
Dinning room
Rose-garden
The castle today
In 2015, the castle was purchased from the descendants of the Marquis de Neuilly. This marked the beginning of a new chapter for the estate, characterized by a diversification of its activities.
Perched atop a hill overlooking the charming town of Montmirail and the Perche-Gouët region, this site remains a privileged place to relax and escape.
