Château d'Augerville

The first mention of Augerville as a hamlet dates back to 1119. From 1207, Augerville served as a stronghold for Philip Augerville and his son Louis, who built a fortified castle with a dovecote there. After Louis' childless death in 1248, the property passed to the brothers Pierre and Dreux de Beaumont. During the Hundred Years' War, Jean de Beaumont, Pierre's son, was executed in 1367 for siding with the English, after which his property was confiscated but later returned to his widow, Jeanne de Courtenay. After her childless death, Augerville fell to another Jean de Beaumont in 1403. Later, the merchant Jacques Cœur acquired the then-ruined Château in 1452, but could hardly use it due to his conviction and exile. In September 1562, the Château hosted Catherine de' Medici and her son, King Charles IX. An inventory from 1582 described the fortified complex with walls and a moat, fed by the Essonne River, as well as a garden, courtyard, barn, theater, and dovecote. After a period of decay, the Château was auctioned in 1637 and acquired in 1644 by Jean Perrault-de-Montevrault, who undertook restorations and extensions.