Doesn’t the Boulevard du Château sound like something from a fairy tale? Yet, here we are on it in Neuilly-sur-Seine France. It’s a place imbued with history. This boulevard’s story begins with a château long gone. The Château de Neuilly once stood proudly here. Its park sprawled across the land.
Let’s journey back to 1751. The Comte d’Argenson Louis XV’s State Secretary for War had this impressive château built. However, its life was tragically short. During the revolution of 1848, the château was pillaged. It was then burned to the ground.
Napoleon III confiscated the land in 1852. He divided the park into 700 lots. Seven boulevards and nine streets emerged. The Boulevard du Château was one of them. Auctions began in 1854. Members of the bourgeoisie bought these plots. Modest properties began to appear.
Today, the Boulevard du Château bears witness to these changes. Some original properties remain. High stone walls still sketch out the limits of old plots. Crumbling stone gateways stand as silent sentinels. Modern apartment blocks now occupy much of the area. They were often built on the foundations of the old properties.
Two other streets also reference the lost edifice. These are the Rue du Château and the Avenue du Château. The Boulevard du Château crosses Rue Perronet and Boulevard Bineau. It ends in the axis of Rue Paul-Vaillant-Couturier in Levallois-Perret.
The American Hospital of Paris stands on this boulevard. Also, the Hôtel Lambiotte is located here. An old octroi building sits at the corner of Rue de Villiers. A church once stood at the edge of Levallois-Perret. It was the Saint-Martin de Villiers-la-Garenne. It was destroyed in 1795.
The Boulevard Bineau is one of the ancient routes between Paris and Normandy. It acts as a multi-laned highway now. Once travelers needed to take a ferry to cross the Seine here. In 1606, Henri IV ordered a bridge. This was after his carriage fell off the ferry.
Neuilly is known as the richest town in France. This is according to tax declarations of towns with more than 20,000 inhabitants. The average price per square meter is around 11,579 euros. Prices vary based on size condition and market demand.
Even the Temple of Love has a story here. Originally in Parc Monceau it was moved to the Château de Neuilly in 1830. It became a highlight of an enchanted garden. Today, the Boulevard du Château is a mix of past and present. It is a testament to the ever-changing face of Paris.