Jardin du Château de Sagonne

In 1699, the same year he started the construction of Place Vendôme in Paris, Jules Hardouin-Mansart was promoted to the position of Superintendent of royal buildings, parks and gardens and he then came into the property of the Comté de Sagonne.
In order to give hospitality to King Louis the XIVth, he demolished part of the rampart, making the courtyard larger and creating an extended terrace in the shape of a half moon, overhanging the ditch. He made alterations to some of the buildings and constructed, in the Northern part, a vast corps de logis. Facing this building, he opened a large perspective that works as the axis of formal gardens, with a design attributed to Le Nôtre. The erection of an Orangery in 1703 marks the completion of these changes, now adulterated over time. Another perspective, still in place today, opening to the East, is created by the long paved avenue lined with trees that crosses the pond and two bridges to reach the first courtyard and ends up in the cour d’honneur. This avenue was the entryway into the castle used by carriages.