CHATEAU DE VAUX LE PENIL

Listed on the French Historical Register

Built in 1766 by Michel Louis FRETEAU DE SAINT JUST, it is the 4th castle built on the same foundations.

Roman era: The temple of JUPITER PENNINUS, which gave its name first to the estate, then to the village, stood on the location of the present church, adjacent to the castle.

1050: In a royal edict kept at the Bibliothèque Nationale, the name of the native seigneur of PENY, the owner of the medieval castle, was mentioned for the first time.

11th and 12th centuries: The kings of France lived in Melun, and the fortified castle of Vaux le Pénil was their advanced citadel. The PENY family lived in it until 1530.

1544: The castle went by marriage to the marquis Tristan de ROSTAING, governor of the town of Melun.

Around 1560: The medieval castle was renovated and became a Renaissance castle.

1573: On September 22, King CHARLES IX held Charlotte de ROSTAING, the eldest daughter of Tristan de ROSTAING, on the baptismal fonts of the church of Vaux Le Pénil.

1588: In the island of Melun, Tristan de ROSTAING resisted the attacks of the Duke of GUISE. The castle was ransacked by the Catholic League.

1590: On April 16, King HENRY IV set up his headquarters in the Guard Hall for the siege of Melun. His cannons opened fire on the citadel from the park slopes.

1610: The third, smaller castle was rebuilt.

1686: Madame de LAVARDIN, owner and close friend of Madame de SEVIGNE, invited her several times at the castle.

1728: The castle was sold to the FRETEAU DE SAINT-JUST family, belonging to the noblesse de robe.

1766: The castle was pulled down and rebuilt a fourth time by Michel-Louis FRETEAU DE SAINT-JUST, First Secretary to Marie LESZCZYNSKA, wife of Louis XV.

1789: His son, Michel-Philippe FRETEAU DE SAINT-JUST, representative of the nobility at the Estates-General, was elected president of the National Constituent Assembly and became co-writer of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

1794: Arrested in the park of the castle on May 4, he was executed on 26 Prairial, Year II (June 14, 1794).

1815: At the fall of the Empire, the tsar ALEXANDRE 1st set up his headquarters in the castle and gave a banquet for his officers in the park (August 29, 1815).

1892: The castle was sold to the banker ELPHRUSSI who expanded it and brought along the paneling of the private mansion of Samuel BERNARD, banker of Louis XIV and Louis XV.

1914: On September 5, General JOFFRE met Marshal FRENCH in the castle in order to discuss the Marne Battle.

1940: The castle was occupied by the Germans.

1944: Bombs fell in the park, but did not cause serious damage to the building structure.

1974: The castle underwent complete restoration works; Giorgio DE CHIRICO and Salvador DALI participated in the creation of the Musée du Surréalisme.

1976: Important excavations began in order to clear the underground rooms. Rooms dating from the 11th and 12th centuries were uncovered, revealing roman foundations in the base of the building. This brought about the discovery of many objects, bones and coins.

The Château de Vaux Le Pénil contains a valuable collection of autographs and historical documents relating to the events that took place there as far back as one thousand years ago. It opened for the first time to the public in September 1977.