Le chef-d'oeuvre de François Mansart

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• published: 05 Mar 2012
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This is the Château de Maisons, in Maisons-Lafitte, West of Paris, France. The first Sunday of every month, many sites are free in France. This was the last Sunday of the season for this place to be for free, however. Some places are only free on "heritage days" from October through March, inclusive, and this is one of them. Planned around 1636 by René de Longeuil, whose family had owned these lands since 1450, François Mansart was commissioned to design this château. The opening party for this place was in 1651, for Anne of Austria and her son, Louis XIV. The Longeuils owned this place until 1777, when they sold it to the Comte of Artois, brother of Louis XVI. Talk about selling at the peak of a real estate bubble, huh? This once had enormous gardens all around, famous stables and other buildings, but they were sold to real estate developers, especially in the 19th century. A bunch of McMansions still stand around it. Of course, these "villas" are very old, but still, that's what they are. The telephone number for this place is 01 39 62 01 49. copyright 2012 Lisa B. Falour, B.S., M.B.A. all rights reserved LISA, INC. (EURL) cutecatfaith.com Maisons-Lafitte is one of the most important "horse cities" in France, and there is a famous racetrack here. We found driving here a chore -- though just beyond La Défense, the roads through Bezons and Houilles were busy and confusing commercial strips. An RER commuter train from La Défense runs, however. Check for the location, or hire me as a private guide. I found this place much prettier and more pleasant than Versailles. Certainly, less crowded, too.