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La Ferté-Saint-Aubin and the naughty Madeleine d'Angennes

The castle | Poudou99 / CC-BY
Castle Madeleine d'Angennes La Ferté-Saint-Aubin castle

Little château de la Loire

The castle of La Ferté-Saint-Aubin, with its elegant brick façades is here since... a very long time!

Since the 11th century, it existed a fortress called Ferté-Nabert, on the location of the current castle.

The fief fell to several owners, then the family d’Etampes owned it in the 16th century.

In 1575, by inheritance, the castle fell to a cousin, François de Saint-Nectaire, who razed the old fortress and raised the left part of the dwelling, called ″the small castle″.

Naughty Madeleine d'Angennes!

With the next generation, in 1625, they raised the ″big castle″. The next generation?

With Henri I de Saint-Nectaire, then Henri II, marshal of France who fought bravely during several battles.

His second wife, Madeleine d'Angennes, was very pretty, adventurous… and unfaithful, said gossips!

People even murmured she was compromised in the famous affaire des Poisons, ″Poisons Affair″…

In Mrs. de Sévigné’s letters, we read:

″Madeleine d'Angennes de la Loupe, marshal’s wife of La Ferté, Catherine-Henriette d'Angennes and Marie-Isabelle de La Mothe-Houdancourt, duchess de La Ferté, Madeleine’s daughter-in-law, were the most gallant ladies of their time.
But one day, the marshal was dying in his bed: his wife, his daughter-in-law, his sister-in-law were by his side, crying:
- Mister, mister, do you know us well? Hold our hands tight, tell us who we are.
The chap, tired of their squawkings, said:
- You are silly b…
You see, the marshal was dying and yet, he was completely lucid!″


In the 19th century, La Ferté fell to prince d’Essling, François-Victor Masséna... son of the famous general of emperor Napoleon I!

The visit of La Ferté

We visit the furnished apartments, the big park, the small farm, the station… oh, we even come cross horses and roosters, with a nice collection of harness!

About the the author

Vinaigrette
I'm fond of strolls and History, with juicy and spicy details!