Photo : Fée Colombia / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Château de Nointel
Built for Jean de Turmenyes, keeper of the royal treasury under Louis XIV, the Château de Nointel, in the Val-d'Oise, is thought to have been designed by a pupil of Jules Hardouin-Mansart. It originally had that architect's characteristic roof, flat and crowned with balusters. At the end of the 18th century, Monsieur Ribault added a storey; the balusters were taken down and reused to enclose a square courtyard in front of the south façade. The roof was altered again at the end of the 19th century.
Turned into a hunting lodge for the Carnelle forest by the Prince of Conti in 1749, the estate was bought in the 18th century by the financier Bergeret, who invited Fragonard there.
In 1986 its owner, Renaud Siry, opened the Musée de l'Auto miniature here, inaugurated by Jean-Pierre Beltoise, which brings together more than 5,000 collectors' cars. Visits are by appointment.
