Photo : Pline / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Château d'Oigny-en-Valois
The Château d'Oigny, in the Aisne, is considered the oldest of the many manor houses built some five centuries ago around Villers-Cotterêts, when the King of France held court in that town. Its architecture dates from the reign of Louis XII (1498-1515), and it is the only château in the area built entirely of brick, in a style at the crossroads of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
The dovecotes are pierced with arrow slits that were probably never used but recall a feudal past. The vaulted ceilings in the basement are remains of the original medieval castle, destroyed in the 14th century during the Hundred Years' War. The elegant present building, put up at the very beginning of the 16th century, was not designed for war: its owners wanted to enjoy hunting in the nearby forests and the prestige of being close to the royal court.
Romantic 18th-century gardens, restored as themed and symbolic gardens, surround the château. The flower park can be visited during the European Heritage Days.
