Maintenon Castle

Maintenon Castle, locally known as Château de Maintenon, lies in the village of the same name in the Eure-et-Loir department in France.

The origins of Maintenon Castle date back to the 13th century, when it was built as a fortified stronghold to control the Eure Valley and secure the road between Chartres and Dreux. It was held by various local lords, including the de Maintenon family, whose name the site still bears. The castle consisted of a rectangular enclosure flanked by four corner towers, a keep, and a drawbridge spanning the moat and river.

During the Hundred Years’ War, Maintenon’s strategic position made it a target. In the 14th century, it was briefly occupied by English forces before being retaken by the French crown. Repairs and strengthening followed, ensuring the castle remained defensible during the turbulent late medieval period.

In the late 15th century, Jean Cottereau, treasurer to King Louis XII, acquired the medieval Maintenon Castle and, starting in 1509, transformed it into a more comfortable residence. He preserved several medieval towers but replaced much of the defensive curtain walls with brick-and-stone residential wings in the fashionable Renaissance style.

In 1674, Françoise d’Aubigné, also known as Madame de Maintenon, purchased the castle from the Angennes family. As the secret wife of Louis XIV, she transformed the grounds under the direction of the landscape architect André Le Nôtre and began work on the monumental aqueduct to supply water to Versailles. The project was halted during the Nine Years' War at the end of the 17th century, leaving behind the striking, unfinished arches still visible today.

Françoise Charlotte d'Aubigné, a niece of Madame de Maintenon, married Adrien Maurice de Noailles in 1698. Madame de Maintenon then gifted them Maintenon Castle as a wedding present. Their descendants owned it until 1983.

Today, Maintenon Castle is owned by a foundation dedicated to its preservation; it is exceptionally well-preserved and open to visitors for a fee.

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