THE CASTLE OF THE SAINT-CLOUD ONE
Listed as a picturesque site in the Yvelines region, the château now hosts international conferences.
Nicknamed "le petit château" (the little château), it was originally just a main building, built around 1616 by Joachim Sandras around the former farm and monks' house belonging to the Saint-Germain-des-Prés abbey. In 1748, the proximity of the La Celle estate to the Château de Versailles attracted the Marquise de Pompadour, favorite of King Louis XV, who had sixteen master apartments, stables and formal gardens designed by Le Nôtre created. Passing from owner to owner, the building was enriched with three greenhouses, a riding school, an orangery and a system for collecting water from the Montmorts stream. By 1804, it was known for having one of the finest herds of merino cattle in France. During the Second World War, Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg took refuge here for a few days in May 1940, before the château was occupied by the Germans until 1944. On February 7, 1951, it was finally bequeathed to the French State, and more specifically to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Today, the estate, listed in the inventory of picturesque sites in the Yvelines region, is a major venue for diplomatic meetings and international conferences, as well as a residence for the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The château was listed as a Monument Historique in 1978, while its grounds were classified as a site of the Yvelines département in March 1985. The monument is open to visitors only during the Journées du Patrimoine.
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