Beaumesnil Castle History

A master piece of the XVIIth century

Initiated in 1633 by Jacques, Marquess of Nonant, for his wife Marie Dauvet Desmaret on the remains of a stronghold of which the dungeon surrounded by moats is now covered by box trees, Beaumesnil was completed in 1640.

An exceptionnal monument

Beaumesnil is a very rare example of Louis XIII architecture between baroque and manierist style. This originality comes from its monumental chimneys, and all kind of optical effects and ornaments.

A deal of families

Beaumesnil has successively been the property of families such as the Montmorency- Laval, the Bethune-Charost, the Maistre, always the wives.

Purchased by the Grand Duke Dimitri of Russia, Jean and Eugenie Fürstemberg were finally entrusted with it in 1939 and they started to restaure the domain right after World War two.

Since their death in 1982, the Fürstenberg Beaumesnil Fondation is doing its best to maintain the domain and its collections.

See the Wikipedia article