Clan Rising
Château de Farcheville today

France · Restored

Château de Farcheville

Château de Farcheville is a moated medieval castle in France with a compact rectangular plan defined by robust stone curtain walls and corner towers. The group of enclosed domestic ranges with pitched tile roofs surrounds a central courtyard and is entered through a prominent gatehouse over the moat. The site today retains its assembled buildings and surrounding parkland; this brief reconstructs its appearance in the early 14th century.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1320

Today

Restored

As it stood in 1320

What Château de Farcheville looked like in its prime.

A compact, rectangular moated castle of pale local limestone with continuous curtain walls punctuated by round corner towers and an entrance gatehouse facing the approach. The outer face along the moat shows a rhythm of tall blind arches and narrow slit windows; steeply pitched roofs of the inner ranges are covered in red clay tiles and a slate-roofed gatehouse block projects from the front. A central gravel courtyard is enclosed by the domestic ranges, all set within a tree-lined water-filled moat and park.

Its story

The story of Château de Farcheville.

Farcheville was built between 1290 and 1304 by Hughes II de Bouville and his son Hugues III, Lords of Farcheville and Bouville, both chamberlains to Philip IV of France. The great hall went up in 1291 and the chapel was consecrated in 1304. A rare example of a rural castle of the medieval period, it carries an equally rare northern French display of arched machicolations on buttresses, a feature more characteristic of military architecture in the Languedoc.

The castle passed to the family of Châtillon in the fifteenth century. In modern times it has changed hands repeatedly: film producer Jean Chalopin, owner from 1989 to 2006, began a restoration project in 1990; the Yellowstone Club founders Edra and Tim Blixseth followed, and after their 2009 divorce and bankruptcy creditors put it up for sale at 57 million US dollars. A French holding company bought it in 2010.

The moated castle keeps its hunting grounds and some 1,000 acres of park, with 25 bedrooms, a theatre, a spa with heated indoor pool and a helipad; today it is available to rent for private events.

Step inside

8 places to explore in 1320.

The record describes 8 distinct spots at Château de Farcheville, including 1 interior: gatehouse passage (entrance vault). Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Approach across the south bridgeGatehouse exterior and forecourtGatehouse passage (entrance vault)Central courtyard (cour d'honneur)South curtain wall facing the moatTop of the southeast round tower (battlements)Residential range façade onto the courtyardChapel range and east service buildings

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Whose castle

Clans who held Château de Farcheville.

The families that held Château de Farcheville for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • de Bouville

    Built 1290–1304 by Hughes II and Hugues III de Bouville, Lords of Farcheville and Bouville, chamberlains to Philip IV.

  • Châtillon

    Passed to the family of Châtillon in the fifteenth century.

Nearby

Landmarks within reach of Château de Farcheville.

Palace of Fontainebleau, FranceMuseumPalace of Fontainebleau31 km away

Questions about Château de Farcheville

What is the history of Château de Farcheville?

Château de Farcheville is a medieval castle whose history begins in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. Hughes II de Bouville and Hugues III built it between 1290 and 1304, with the great hall completed in 1291 and the chapel consecrated in 1304. It passed to the Châtillon family in the fifteenth century, was attacked during the Wars of Religion, and underwent major restoration from 1899 and again in the 1980s.

What is inside Château de Farcheville?

Inside Château de Farcheville are a seigneurial hall, a tithe barn, a bakehouse, a chapel and a residence known as the chapelain’s house, with parts dating from the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The chapel retains mural paintings and ceiling panelling decorated with musician angels. The enclosure also contains domestic, agricultural and service buildings arranged around courtyard spaces.

Why was Château de Farcheville built, and what was it used for?

Château de Farcheville was built as a rural medieval castle and residence for the Lords of Farcheville and Bouville. Its design also gave it a monumental military appearance, with curtain walls, corner towers and machicolations, although the site had no true defensive necessity. Later, parts of the enclosure served domestic and agricultural functions, and it is now available to rent for private events.

Where is Château de Farcheville?

Château de Farcheville is near Paris, in the commune of Bouville in the Essonne département, in the Île-de-France region. It stands in the former province of Gâtinais, about 47 kilometres south of Paris. Bouville is the administrative territorial entity associated with the castle.

When was Château de Farcheville built?

Château de Farcheville was built between 1290 and 1304, placing its construction at the turn of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The great hall was built in 1291, and the chapel was consecrated in 1304. The site’s prime year is 1320, while the first-raised year is not recorded.

Was Château de Farcheville ever attacked or besieged?

Château de Farcheville was attacked three times during the Wars of Religion between 1567 and 1576. It was pillaged and badly damaged during these attacks. The buildings were repaired between 1578 and 1604.

Which family or clan held Château de Farcheville?

The de Bouville family built Château de Farcheville between 1290 and 1304. Hughes II and Hugues III de Bouville were Lords of Farcheville and Bouville, and both served as chamberlains to Philip IV of France. The castle later passed to the Châtillon family in the fifteenth century.

What did Château de Farcheville look like in its prime?

In its prime, Château de Farcheville was a compact rectangular moated castle built of pale local limestone. Continuous curtain walls are punctuated by round corner towers, blind arches and narrow slit windows, with an entrance gatehouse facing the approach. Steep red clay-tiled roofs cover the inner ranges, while a slate-roofed gatehouse projects over the water-filled moat and park.

Is Château de Farcheville still standing or is it a ruin?

Château de Farcheville is still standing and is described as restored rather than ruined. It retains its assembled buildings, including the rectangular enclosure, chapel and domestic ranges. Major restoration took place from 1899, including work on the curtain wall and battlements, and further important restoration occurred in the 1980s.

Can you visit Château de Farcheville?

Château de Farcheville is available to rent for private events rather than being described as a generally open public attraction. Its heritage status includes inscription as a historical monument since 1947 and classification as a historical monument since 1948. The site also has private-event facilities including bedrooms, a theatre, a spa and a helipad.

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