Maincy is a commune in the department of Seine-et-Marne, in the Île-de-France region, east of Melun which it borders.
Its territory of 10 km² crossed by two small rivers, the Almont, a tributary of the Seine, and the Bobée, has a predominantly rural and verdant character: crops make up 40% of its area and forests 37 %.
However, the specificity of the locality is that a little more than a third of its land, to the northeast, is occupied by the castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte and its vast park.
Built around 1660 for Nicolas Fouquet, Superintendent of Finances to Louis XIV who later fell into disgrace, this château, considered an example of classical architecture of the Grand Siècle, is still a major tourist center today.
To the northeast of the historic town of Maincy, it has had a profound impact on the history of the town, of which it remains the jewel. It is obviously to discover the castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte, its magnificent interiors and its gardens that 300,000 visitors are counted each year in Maincy (1800 inhabitants). Don't forget, however, to stop in the village itself and discover the surrounding countryside.
It was in 1641 that Nicolas Fouquet, via the fortune of his wife, acquired the lands of the seigneury of Vaux because of their strategic location, halfway between the royal castles of Vincennes and Fontainebleau. Ambitious, he also appreciates at the same time becoming "viscount".
Instead of a modest castle and a farm, he decided to build a castle by calling on the greatest artists of the time: the architect Louis Le Vau, the landscaper André Le Nôtre, the painter and decorator Charles Le Brun and master mason Michel Villedo. Louis XIV had already entrusted them with the construction of two new wings in Vincennes and later, it was they who he would ask to build Versailles, drawing inspiration from the masterpiece of Vaux-le-Vicomte. The park and the formal gardens (with their canalization system) were completed in 1655. A year later, the foundations of the castle itself were finished and construction work was not long in coming: the masonry (with white stones de Creil on the facade and bricks for the outbuildings) and the frame were made in 1657, and the roof was laid in 1658. From then on, the work of interior decoration began. It was generally finished in 1660 when Louis XIV visited the places where Fouquet lived and where artists and writers like La Fontaine already frequented.
Tower swung in August 1661 after the superintendent had given a big party in honor of the king, which has remained in the annals for its splendor (Vatel prepared the meal, plays by Molière were played and bonfires fireworks were fired).
In September, Louis XIV had Fouquet arrested. Officially, he is accused of embezzlement and the crime of lèse-majesté (he would have fomented a plan of rebellion against the king), but unofficially, the sovereign did not admit that one of his ministers displayed so much success in a setting, the castle, just as majestic. Sentenced to life imprisonment, Fouquet was held in the prison of Pignerol (near Turin) where he died in 1680.
In the meantime, the castle was seized. The furniture, works of art and crockery will soon be sold at auction and the castle will finally fall to the son… of Fouquet himself.
However, some parts of the castle (decor elements) were moved to Versailles, whose architecture is largely inspired, but in greater proportions, by Vaux-le-Vicomte. And for good reason, since the architect, the landscaper, the decorator are the same…
Nowadays, saved in the 19th century by the Sommier family, the estate has regained all of its original luster. Private property, it is the center of a real company that maintains the site and organizes visits and events throughout the year.
In addition to the castle and its interiors with exceptional decor and furniture (a hundred rooms covering 2500 m² on three floors) as well as the park, a museum of crews (old horse-drawn carriages) is located. On the last Sunday of June, a Grand Siècle day in period costumes is scheduled. In summer, candlelight tours are also offered. Special activities for young people and visits with an interactive video guide are possible.
Open daily from April to November. Mandatory reservation. Price (castle + park): from 11 and 16.90 euros depending on age. Information on +33 1 64 14 41 90.
Before or after the castle, a passage through the town allows you to appreciate other sites of interest. Let us mention the Saint-Etienne church whose foundations date back to the 12th century. When he moved to Vaux, Fouquet asked the architect Le Vau to redesign the building. Only a few gargoyles have been preserved, dating from the 13th century. The facade, on the other hand, was rebuilt in a Louis XIII style and on the left side of the nave, a porch opening onto a porch gives the church its originality.
Next, see the Maison des Carmes, which for a few years (before Fouquet's disgrace) housed a royal tapestry factory, most of which were intended for the Château de Vaux. Charming alleys, old mills, a wash house and picturesque bridges still mark out a course in the village which has developed on a hillside.
We will observe in passing, precisely, the bridge over the Almont at a place called Les Trois Moulins that the painter Paul Cézanne immortalized in a painting titled "Pont de Maincy".
For hiking enthusiasts, note that outside the castle park, the countryside and bucolic landscapes of the town can be explored via paths some of which are accessible to mountain bikes. Loops also allow you to reach Melun and the banks of the Seine. Maps and information on +33 1 64 52 64 52.
