Le château de Villers-Cotterêts

Now closed to visitors, the castle is the subject of a vast restoration program launched by the State.
THE INTERNATIONAL CITY OF THE FRENCH LANGUAGE PROJECT: In March 2018, the President of the Republic entrusted the Center for National Monuments with the project to create an International City of the French Language at the Château de Villers- Cotterêts. The monument will open in the summer of 2023 after a major restoration campaign of two buildings: the Logis Royal and the Jeu de Paume. Both a historical site and a cultural and artistic facility, the Cité will be based on a program entirely dedicated to the French language. It will offer visitors a permanent tour, a multidisciplinary program of temporary exhibitions and shows, residency workshops for artists, researchers and entrepreneurs, educational activities, learning and training in the French language. While being anchored in its territory, the Cité will be open to the world. It will be accessible to all publics, from the nearest to the international: families, schoolchildren, tourists, associations, professionals.
A bit of history: After his captivity in Madrid, François 1er launched several construction sites near Paris. Among them, the castle of Villers-Cotterêts whose proximity to the forest of Retz made the happiness of kings and princes who particularly appreciate hunting there. François I nicknamed this royal residence "My pleasure", which clearly underlines the emotional link with the place. The castle contains a rich sculpted decoration, unique in France: a chapel with an altarpiece and friezes and two coffered staircases. In August 1539, François I signed the ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts which introduced the use of French in official documents and laid the foundations of civil status. Henri II, who succeeded him in 1547, continued the work by calling upon one of the greatest geniuses of the Renaissance, the architect Philibert de l'Orme. Passing in front of the gable of the auditorium, you can admire the royal monogram of Henri and Catherine de Médicis. The 17th century marked the beginning of a new era for the royal estate. In 1661, Louis XIV offered the Duchy of Valois to his brother Philippe d'Orléans on the occasion of his marriage to Henriette of England. In 1664, Le Nôtre completely redid the Petit Parc according to the style and tastes of the day. Seven generations of princes followed one another and left their mark.

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