Château de Groussay, Montfort-l'Amaury, France

The Château de Groussay was built in 1815 by the duchesse de Charest, a daughter of Louise Elisabeth de Croÿ-Havré, marquise de Tourzel, the governess of the royal enfants de France of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

The Château was purchased in 1938-39 by the French aesthete Carlos de Beistegui, who enlarged it, with the professional help of Emilio Terry. Cecil Beaton's inspiration for Henry Higgins' library in My Fair Lady was the library at Groussay.

Beistegui created new gardens, inspired by the Anglo-Chinese gardens of the 18th century and by an 18th-century copper tent in the royal gardens of Drottningholm Palace in Sweden. They feature a Chinese pagoda, a labyrinth, a theater of verdure, a Tartar tent, and other follies. The Gardens are classified by the French government as one of the Remarkable Gardens of France.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Marc Aurèle (3 years ago)
This is an incredible well hidden marvel. The château does not look like much from the outside but its park and its inside are worth visiting. It however is a private property. I recommend it. The theater inside the château is a marvel

Mark Woodley (4 years ago)
This chateau must have one of the best, if not the finest library ever conceived for a private home. Be sure to visit the Tartar tent, a architectural garden folly constructed of metal replicating striped fabric completed with blue & white delft tile interior. There's also a pagoda on the grounds, a colonnaded footbridge and pleasing landscapes to wander through. The baroque style theatre was added in the 1950's and performances still occur on its stage. Incredible drapery and lighting inside the theatre not to be missed. Thankfully Carlos de Beistegui e Yturbe was not lacking in imagination or money to create such an eccentric, beautiful legacy. Approximately 30 miles outside Paris.

Yacine Alami (4 years ago)
A great place to learn about French history and see an amazing castle. The garden is really beautiful and you can spend a nice sunny afternoon there. The guided visit is nice as well, but you can definitely just stroll through the castle by yourself! Live like and emperor !

Asghar Ahmad (5 years ago)
Lovely place just s shame it's not maintained to preserve its history and former glory. The gardens are not kept but you can still imagine the beauty the place had all those years ago. The interior decoration still shows through and the period features are a delight. If you get a chance to visit, go for it

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