A wide variety of castles
While the Val Parisis conurbation boasts some 15 castles as historical landmarks, you'll discover a wide variety of architectural styles and ways in which these buildings are used today. We speak of châteaux, but the term manor houses and private mansions is sometimes used, and rightly so. Most of these buildings are concentrated in Eaubonne. The Château de la Chesnaie (18th century), for example, is a listed historic monument, but is intended for private use, and can be privatized for events or seminars. The Château des Cèdres (also known as Château Lombard), on the other hand, is an architectural testimony to the early 19th century. You'll need to pay close attention if you want to see it: set between modern buildings, overlooking a busy road where you wouldn't expect to see such an edifice, it comprises a main building and two wings. Its originality lies in the Gothic and Baroque decorations adorning the windows and attics. Today, the château houses departmental services. Also in Eaubonne, the châteaux of Val Joli (19th century), purchased by the municipality in 2021, Clos de l'Olive (18th century), which houses the music conservatory, and Philipson (18th century), which houses associations, are among the most interesting examples of local heritage. Beyond Eaubonne, Taverny is not to be outdone: the 19th-century Château de la Chaumette, where Napoleon and Josephine separated, is now home to a private school. The massive, imposing 19th-century Château du Haut-Tertre is home to the Red Cross, while the splendid 19th-century Château de la Tuyolle houses the administrative services of a hospital. Elsewhere in the area, there are other remarkable buildings: the magnificent 18th-century Château Cadet-de-Vaux is an important part of Franconville-la-Garenne's heritage, and has been classified as a "Regional Heritage Site". Once again, you'll discover that the architectural and functional diversity of these buildings means that the region is densely populated.
A remarkable religious heritage
There's no shortage of religious buildings in the area: every commune in the Agglomération has its own church or chapel, as many different testimonies. Here too, as with the castles, you'll find a great eclecticism. Gothic art is well represented here, with two remarkable buildings dating from the 13th century. The first is the Notre-Dame de Taverny church, which has overlooked the valley for almost 900 years. Its style, somewhere between Primitive Gothic and Radiant Gothic, leaves plenty of room for stained glass windows to illuminate the three-storey interior. The second building in this style is the Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais church in Bessancourt, which is currently undergoing extensive renovation work and has been a listed historic monument since 1921. As in Taverny, several Gothic styles are present here, due to the length of the work, which took place over several centuries. The large cylindrical pillars are accompanied by lovely sculpted bas-reliefs, to give just one example of the architectural diversity to be found here. In Herblay-sur-Seine (listed as a Monument Historique in 1925, notably for its imposing nave) and La Frette-sur-Seine (located in a listed site, and currently being restored), the monuments were built high up, giving the impression of overlooking the loop of the Seine. In Saint-Leu-la-Forêt, the church, founded in 1851, is visited more for its crypt, which contains the tombs of several members of the Bonaparte family. The more recent Christ-Roi church in Cormeilles-en-Parisis and Saint-Joseph church in Montigny-lès-Cormeilles are two surprising examples of contemporary religious architecture. Finally, let's return to Taverny to talk about a heritage site that has also been awarded the label: the Chapelle Rohan-Chabot, on the heights of the town, and its recently renovated small garden are worth a visit. Built in the mid-19th century, the chapel houses 16 burials, including those of part of the eponymous family.
Millstone and atypical houses
Millstone houses are very common in the Île-de-France region, and particularly in the Val Parisis conurbation: there are hundreds of them. Owned in the vast majority of cases by private individuals, they are a unique testimony to the architecture of the 19th and 20th centuries. The sturdy stone is quarried nearby, giving the houses a golden hue that's sure to impress. Today, there are over 200 of these highly sought-after houses in Eaubonne (including a remarkable dozen), nearly 40 in Saint-Leu-la-Forêt, and many more in other parts of the region, notably Ermont. In another register, the Villa Mauresque is a very special architectural gesture: built in the 1910s, located close to the Seine, it was the brainchild of painter Victor Madeleine, following a visit to the 1900 Universal Exhibition in Paris. Now owned by the town of Herblay-sur-Seine, it cannot be visited (its last owner still lives inside), but we're sure that one day it will be possible!
Contemporary creations
Here, contemporary public facilities are given a very specific architectural treatment. While there is no such thing as a "Val Parisis style", lovers of fine buildings will be able to admire several recent achievements. The recently inaugurated AquaVal - Centre aquatique Alice Milliat - in Taverny, for example, is a sports center designed by the Rougerie+Tangram architectural practice, with undulating curves that blend in perfectly with its immediate surroundings. In Cormeilles-en-Parisis, the Gilles-Boutantin sports complex is the brainchild of the Dietrich Untertrifaller architectural practice: long, sober and covered in a metallic cladding, it is wide open onto the town. Naturally, these modern facilities comply with the highest environmental and accessibility standards.
