Maisons-Laffitte can be found some 18 km (11 miles) north-west of Paris. You can reach
it by train from the Saint-Lazare station (see previous post) or by the
metro-RER line A.
Originally
a small village, a castle was built during the 17th century, then
belonging to the family de Longueil. It was built big enough to be able to
receive the King (then Louis XIV) and other royals when they had been hunting in the nearby large Saint-Germain forest.
It was later belonging to the
brother of Louis XVI, the Count of Artois, future King Charles X. He was a fan
of horses and this is how the place became and has remained a great riding
centre.
The French Revolution meant that the royals disappeared from here.
For a few years it belonged to the Marshal Lannes until his death on the
battlefield in 1809.
His widow sold it a few years later to the banker Jacques
Laffitte, also a leading politician and a great horse fan, who gave his name to
the place. In the 1830’s he sold parcels of the park, opened “avenues” and a
number of fashionable mansions were built. Finally the whole park was sold by
his family in 1850.
Here are
some Google Earth views. The present park is within the dotted red lines.
... and here are some
photos of the castle…
… the park…
… a number
of 19th century (and some later built) mansions…
… the gate
through which the Saint-Germain forest (royal) hunters arrived…
… some
horses.
A few views
from the old village with a 11th century church (now used for cultural events)…
… and from
the Seine River banks.
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