Welcome to the Château des Ormes!
The Château des Ormes stands among the grand aristocratic castles of the Old Regime and represents one of the most spectacular architectural achievements spanning the 18th to the 20th centuries. Comprising elements from different periods (18th, 19th, and 20th centuries), it forms a harmonious ensemble of remarkable architectural unity. The entire castle was classified as […]
English Garden and Central Pavilion
Access to this area is through the gate of the farmyard, at the far left, and then through the one next to the icehouse that extends it. This leads to an English landscape garden, redesigned in the early 20th century at the location of the one established in the mid-19th century. In the background, a […]
Power Supply Pavilion or « Engine Cottage »
The former gatekeeper’s pavilion, built in 1825, has housed the castle’s first electrical installation since 1906. This is one of the last models of its kind in France. The installation originally consisted of a gas-poor engine with a dynamo powering a battery of accumulators. The engine was later modified by the installation of a carburettor […]
Suzette II
Now enter the hangar to discover the magnificent motorboat Suzette II, built in 1902. It splendidly testifies to the tastes and lifestyle of the Argenson family at that time. Discovered in 2001 in the garage of the outbuildings, buried under various materials, this boat was classified as a historical monument in November 2002 and restored […]
The Icehouse
This icehouse is the third of the castle and was rebuilt in 1807 by Vétault, an architect in Poitiers, in the form of an egg resting on an inverted conical base. Its entrance, offset to limit the penetration of air, is preceded by a small vestibule and a three-step porch. Located under a mound of […]
The Petit Salon
The Petit Salon, currently serving as a billiard room, holds the name « Little Salon » in the recollections of painters Taillebourg and Voyer from 1905-1906. Like the Salon des Batailles, it extended the central salon during grand receptions. This room features a magnificent 18th-century fireplace designed in 1750 by the renowned ornamental sculptor Nicolas Pineau (1684-1754) […]
The Herbarium of Les Ormes
Discovered in 2001 on the first floor of the Argenson wing in a 12m2 room facing south for better preservation, the herbarium was compiled by Marquis Marc-René-Marie d’Argenson starting in 1804, the date of the oldest sheet. It comprises over 3,000 specimens, preserved in their bluish paper with a handwritten note of the Latin name […]
The history of the Castle
Originally owned by the Marans family from Poitou in the 15th century, the Ormes estate became the property of brothers Antoine-Martin and Henri Pussort in 1642. They were royal advisers and uncles of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, one of the principal advisers to King Louis XIV. A castle consisting of seven pavilions, one of which was topped […]
Dining room
The dining room, situated on the ground floor of the large left-wing pavilion from the 18th century built by Count d’Argenson, stands as one of Coulomb’s major achievements at Les Ormes. Pleasantly located, it faces southwest and is generously open to the garden through five casements. The stucco and polychrome marble decor, punctuated with Ionic […]
Blue Salon, formerly known as the Battle Salon
The Blue Salon, formerly known as the Battle Salon, derives its name from the battle scenes of the War of the Austrian Succession (1742-1747) that were once depicted in the panels. These scenes included the battles of Fontenoy and Lawfeld, as well as the captures of Ypres, Menin, Courtray, and Fribourg. In 1746, these scenes […]