Photo : Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Château de La Celle
The Château de La Celle, at La Celle-Saint-Cloud in the Yvelines, belongs to the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, which uses it as a reception residence. In the 16th century the monks of Saint-Germain-des-Prés built a pavilion on the site.
Madame de Pompadour bought the property in 1748, called it 'the little château' and received Louis XV there. She carried out major works and added a wing and stables, but only owned it until 1750; the tax farmer Jacques Jérémie Roussel then built the pavilion and the north wing. A park was laid out at the end of the 18th century.
The last owner, Auguste Dutreux, bequeathed the château in 1951 to the Foreign Minister, Robert Schuman. The estate opens to the public during the European Heritage Days, with the park, the kitchen garden and guided tours.
