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Château Bellet
Once a farm, now a “château”

 

 

A Changing place...

In the 18th century, the site was home to a farm within a vast agricultural estate called Enclos St-Gervais. The entire domaine was the property of the Saint-Germain-des-Prés Abbey. During the French revolution, the property was seized by the State, then sold to the Brossard de Runneval family. In 1849, the estate was sold off in several lots. Louis Victor Bellet, a lawyer from Paris, bought the farmhouses and terrain to build a holiday home. His house was gradually extended and is now known as “Château Bellet”. The arcades, wings and top floor appear to have been added around 1880. In 1988 the 25 hectare property was bought by Jacques Breton to use as the headquarters for his association “Assise”. In 2010, it was acquired by the diocese of Pontoise. The Centre Assise is devoted to spiritual teachings.

 

 

...with changing architecture

This neoclassically designed house was built to a rectangular plan. The subsequent, somewhat eclectic extensions increased its complexity, departing with the symmetry of the original design. The interplay of colour arising from the brick decorations and slate roofing gives the whole a cohesive appearance. It has a wide variety of dormer windows (arched, sometimes with console brackets or curved pediments, gabled or oculus.)
The main facade (facing the garden) is highly uniform. Facing the street, the extensions, including towers and a central front annex add greater complexity to the architectural form.
At ground level, there is a kitchen, meditation room and dining room. The basement includes an arched chapel (in a former coal cellar). There are 23 bedrooms, an office and a library in the upper levels.