Maisons-Laffite: horses and shit

France: another Castle 20 minutes away from Paris

For the first time in 17 years I was back in Maisons-Laffite after surmounting the dreadful memory of an accident, falling head first of a ‘one meter poney’, which I recovered from a few days or months after.

Maisons-Laffite, a city mostly acquired by banker Laffite in 1830s, which might have something to do with his surname ending up very humbly in the city’s name. This time, I was not back in the equestrian-loving people party city because I was involved with riding poneys but because I grew fond of another activity involving alone time in a castle.

The beauty was first designed in 1636 (as to, two years before the rise of the Sun King (aka the birth of Louis the XIV)). While Germany has the Bauhaus, Le Corbusier is our famous french architect. Going a few centuries back, we also had: François Mansart (then followed by his nephew Hardouin-Mansart who designed Versailles, and many other monuments). Back in the mid-17th century to early 18th century, castles were sprouting in the country and this one just shows how it’s done.

Previous Maisons-en-Seine, the land belonged to the Longueil family. Its chief René was a powerful man, both Finance surintendant and President of parisian Parliament. He ordered Mansart to build a castle, bigger and wider to welcome the King when hunting nearby, in his royal domain in the forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

The horse races tradition comes from as early as the year of 1777, when the land bought by the Comte d’Artois, brother to the King and himself future King Charles X. The latter asks Mansart nephew to build horse stables, then destroyed by Laffite in 1830s. The banker’s brother, horrified, decides to buy the land near the Seine. After organizing many and many horse races there, he finally builds an hippodrome.

Now open to visit, the castle presents pristine vestibules, and an intimate experience of past owners, and nights in the now-empty ballroom. The castle doesn’t attract a lot of visitors, like Versailles. That’s why it’s fabulous to wander around the ancient building as we please.

Originally published on my blog.

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