The Essonne town of Bouray-sur-Juine boasts a splendid 17th-century château. The Château de Mesnil-Voysin, built by the famous mason Michel Villedo, welcomes us on September 20 and 21, 2025. To celebrate the Journées du Patrimoine (Heritage Days), the monument is organizing various tours and events, so that the curious can discover the history and special features of this site.
This centuries-old castle is currently being restored. However, time has not been enough to erase its superb appearance. The monument is adorned with over 300 windows, dormer windows of various shapes, and a massive dovecote, topped by a pepperpot housing 3,500 boulins (indoor nesting boxes). An orangery, workshops and dry moat can also be admired by visitors.
Take advantage of the 42nd Heritage Days to discover this castle steeped in history, and take part in the various activities on offer over the weekend. Check out the program to make sure you don't miss out on any of the planned activities!
During the European Heritage Days, we're putting the bread oven back into operation!
You can see how bread and focaccia are made, and even buy some.
Tasting on site.
Self-guided tour of the Mesnil-Voysin mobile dovecote
Few dovecotes with a movable den still exist.
The one at Mesnil-Voysin has survived the Revolution in its original state.
3,500 boulins for a 175-hectare park.
Free visit of the Trinité chapel.
The Trinity Chapel
The Father the Love given, the Son the Love received and the Holy Spirit the Love exchanged.
The cement that envelops the chapel, hiding the sandstone that was the last trace of the château's plasterwork before restoration, has been replaced by lime plaster.
A late vestry linking the chapel to the chaplain's house has been dismantled. The window is now back in place.
Built in 1610, prior to the present château, with a boat hull roof and imperial-style framework, with a slightly crushed barrel vault.
The high altar, built around a chimney-piece, has been replaced by a Louis XIV-period sideboard and an early 17th-century tabernacle.
Two penitential poles surround the altar. The rostrum (Robert de Cotte) was redesigned with balusters of the same model as the communion table, which will mark the 2nd level.
The 3rd level, on which the altar will rest, is an ellipse in royal red Flanders marble (an invitation to the Baroque), with a progression in the richness of the materials used.
Standing against the gallery wall, the inaugural stone of damoiselle Renée Sabathier, widow of the late Guillaume Hérouard, King's Councillor and Secretary, who had this chapel built and was buried here on February 23, 1611.
The chapel was blessed and consecrated by Monseigneur et Révérend Père en Dieu Messire Jacques de Martin évêque de Vannes and the Reverend Cardinal Duperron Archevêque de Sens, Primat des Gaules et de Germanie, Grand Aumônier de France.
The funerary liter (de Cornuel), which was a seigneurial right, is under the woodwork.
A processional banner from 1816, with Christ on the front and Saint Martin on the back.
The central aisle with memorial stones and 3 slabs covering 3 vaults, trodden on the ground as a sign of humility.
Edward VII (now, after his abdication, Duke of Windsor) and Wallis Simpson were double-crossed in the purchase of Mesnil by Monsieur Mansillon, because they wanted to move the Polignac tombs! A Polignac funeral wreath remains.
A bull's eye similar to those in the château replaces a steep dormer window, to accommodate a stained glass window representing the Order of the Holy Spirit, the supreme decoration: it's a link between the Chapel of the Trinity and the men who lived in Mesnil (Voysin, clerk of the Order, Broglie and his collar, Guitaut...).
Free visit of the Château de Mesnil Voysin in Bouray sur Juine.
Thanks to the estate's owner, the municipality of Bouray, the Bouray et son histoire association and volunteer members, visitors will be able to enter the Château du Mesnil-Voysin on September 20 and 21, 2025, during the European Heritage Days.
Visitors will be welcomed by volunteer members and hand-picked exhibitors. Visitors will be able to marvel at a display of vintage cars, visit the bread oven, the pigeon loft with its original frame and mobile bird house, the chapel currently being restored, the grand salon, and then relax at the stalls. There will be a flock of sheep with a demonstration of shepherds' dogs, a beekeeper, an ironmonger, an upholsterer, wood turners, roofers, a stained-glass window maker, etc... The bread oven is exceptionally back in operation for these two days, offering the chance to bake old-fashioned bread and wood-fired focaccia. Apple juice is also made on site and sold in aid of a local charity.
Gourmet market and snacks on site.
Gourmet and arts and crafts market in the courtyard and grand salon.
Over 50 exhibitors:
For the gourmet market: foie gras, goat's cheese, wines and spirits, crêpes, apple juice (made on site in front of visitors), bread made at the château (see tour of the bread oven), honey, sausages, Creole products, cookies. All exhibitors are local artisans.
For craftsmanship: porcelain painting, slate painting, woodturning, marquetry, upholstery, glass engraving, lacemaking, embroidery, blacksmithing, roofing, dolls' houses, jewelry, glass spinning, salt dough, etc... (Associations and local craftsmen)
Exhibition of vintage and classic cars:
More than fifteen makes represented by over sixty cars, weather permitting.
Some exhibitors may offer car christenings.
Owners of classic cars are welcome to drop by! The park can accommodate over 200 cars on display.
Exposure to playmonil.
When a Playmobil fan reproduces the Mesnil Voysin castle: a model that will blow you away.
Other scenes will also be on display in the Communs attic.
On-site sales stands for Playmonil items.
To mark the Journées du Patrimoine, the Chateau de Mesnil Voysin is hosting the French Team Billiards Cup for the first time. French, European and World champions will be present. Demonstrations not to be missed.
Sheepdog demonstration on sheep and ducks (course).
Production and sale of apple juice.
Visitors will be invited to take part in the making of apple juice by turning the spout and/or the press.
On-site sales by and for the benefit of a local association.
Choosing your 4x4 to get through life: this title is both a question (How do you choose your 4x4?) and an objective (You have to choose your 4x4). How else will we travel?
As you can see, we're not going to the car show, but to the self-reflection show. The author, an active entrepreneur, would like to share his experience and invite everyone to find their own key reference points, their "driving wheels", to get through life with serenity. The mythical 4x4 powerfully evokes crew, adventure, challenge, dreams, efficiency, sobriety, a taste for nature, novelty, the ability to overcome obstacles, openness to others, knowledge of the terrain... values that are very useful for discovering this unknown land: ourselves. This 4x4 can't be bought, it has to be built by assembling the parts we find.
Bertrand de Beaugrenier, an agricultural engineer and graduate of Essec, is a company director in the real estate sector. Now a grandfather, he is passionate about heritage and passing on his legacy. He is the owner of the largest private building site listed as a historic monument in France, where 8 full-time journeymen work. He regularly organizes transmission days for young people. His aim is to help young people grow through his personal experiences, just as he himself has been shaped by his grandparents and his personal environment.
The château was built between 1632 and 1635 under the reign of Louis XIII in the Henri IV style. It is built of local sandstone. François Mansart is said to have been the architect and Claude Cornuel the designer.
The courtyard serves the orangery, kitchens, sheds and workshops, the fruit garden and the bread oven.
The chapel dates from 1611 and was built by Renée Sabathier. A crypt has served as a burial place for many lords:
- Sabathier family
- de Rouge family
- Choiseul-Praslin family
- Polignac family
The dovecote: located in the center of the courtyard, it is topped by a pepperpot. It features 3,500 boulins (indoor nesting boxes), a splendid framework and a period mobile nesting box. Pigeon droppings were collected as fertilizer for the vegetable garden.
The 17th- and 18th-century park was designed by Le Notre. It covered 175 hectares, of which only 42 remain. It is surrounded by a wall of local stone.
The dry moat protected access to the château. A drawbridge was even built.
The course of the River Juine was diverted to supply the water feature, canals and fountains.
The seigneurial estate included three farms:
- La Ferme du Petit-Mesnil
- La Grande Ferme
- La Petite Ferme
The Dieu de Bouray was found in 1815 in the pond in the Mesnil-Voysin park. He is featured at all Celtic art exhibitions. The banks of the Juine were once a place of pagan worship.
The Pocancy tower is a factory: it was built by the Marquis de Brogglie to look down on the estate.
Gather for the tour next to the bread oven. A sign with departure times will be on site. Tour lasts about 30 minutes.
Please note that not all of the chateau can be visited (private property). You'll visit the bread oven, the dovecote with its mobile birdhouse, the chapel and the large green salon.
Guided tour of the Mesnil-Voysin dovecote with mobile den.
(in a guided loop lasting around 30 minutes, including a visit to the bread oven, the chapel and the grand salon).
Meeting point next to the bread oven.
Visiting times on a notice board (scheduled for 11:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00).
Few pigeon lofts still have their original mobile nesting boxes.
The one at Mesnil-Voysin has survived the Revolution in its original state.
3,500 boulins for a 175-hectare park.
It's going to be a busy weekend! And don't miss the heritage treasures opening their doors near you this cultural weekend.
Heritage Days 2025: not-to-be-missed sites in Essonne (91)
The Journées du Patrimoine 2025 offer a unique opportunity to visit and admire the hidden treasures of Essonne (91). From September 20 to 21, 2025, you'll be able to discover historic places and unusual sites that open their doors for the occasion. A weekend not to be missed. [Read more]
The Journées du Patrimoine 2025 is also an opportunity to visit castles in the Paris region, often free of charge! Kings and queens, princes, emperors, nobles of all kinds... Follow in the footsteps of these great figures of French history and discover their magnificent homes, on September 20 and 21, 2025. [Read more]
Dates and Opening Time
From September 20, 2025 to September 21, 2025
Location
Mesnil-Voysin Castle
1 Rue de Lardy
91850 Bouray sur Juine
Prices
Free
Heritage Days 2025: not-to-be-missed sites in Essonne (91)
Journées du Patrimoine 2025: the program for the most beautiful châteaux in Paris and the Île-de-France region
