Noisy-le-Roi

Did the walnut trees whisper secrets to royalty? Here in Noisy-le-Roi, they certainly witnessed a lot. Noisy-le-Roi, whose name comes from the Latin “Nucetum,” meaning walnut grove, has a history intertwined with French royalty. The village, first mentioned in 1136, was once part of the County of Montfort. For three centuries, the Villeneuve family held Noisy-le-Roi, a period marked by the devastation of the Hundred Years’ War and the Black Death. In 1526, it became royal property, passing through the hands of King Francis I and then Henry II, who gifted it to their favorites. Eventually, Noisy-le-Roi landed with Albert de Gondi, a favorite of Catherine de’ Medici. He renovated the château, creating magnificent gardens and a stunning grotto, described as a “principal ornament of the country.” Catherine de’ Medici, along with her sons, Henri III and the Duke of Alençon, all graced Noisy-le-Roi with their presence. In 1592, Cardinal Pierre de Gondi, Albert’s brother, brokered a truce at Noisy-le-Roi that led to Henri of Navarre’s conversion to Catholicism and restored religious peace in France. The château continued to host artists and writers under the patronage of the Duchess de Retz. In 1607, a young Louis XIII found refuge in Noisy-le-Roi when the plague struck Saint-Germain-en-Laye. This visit, arranged by Madame de Meignelay, Albert de Gondi’s daughter, led to Louis XIII’s discovery of a certain spot called Versailles. Years later, the notorious Cardinal de Retz plotted against the crown at Noisy-le-Roi during the Fronde. After his imprisonment and exile, his memoirs cemented his place as a prominent writer. In 1675, Noisy-le-Roi became part of the Grand Parc of Versailles under Louis XIV, and the village was renamed Noisy-le-Roi. Madame de Maintenon briefly established a school for girls here before it moved to Saint-Cyr. The château eventually fell into disrepair and was demolished in 1732, replaced by a smaller, more modern structure. The new château was home to the Countess d’Ossun, a lady-in-waiting to Marie Antoinette, who was sadly guillotined during the Revolution. The 19th and 20th centuries saw Noisy-le-Roi transform. From a quiet agricultural village, it became a bustling suburb of Paris. Today, Noisy-le-Roi maintains a balance between its rich history and modern development.