The Castle
History of the château de Villaines
Built on the ruins of a 12th-century feudal castle in the mid-seventeenth century, the château de Villaines has been neither modified nor extended since. Spared by the French Revolution, it was sold in 1776 by the last remaining member of the Gaignon family, who had been the owners of the Villaines estate for four centuries, to the marquis d’Aulx who gave it his own name.
In the late 19th century the château d’Aulx was purchased by the comte de Gramedo, who restored its original name – château de Villaines.
Towards the end of the First World War, the American army set up a training centre for military chaplains in the château. Many hundreds of chaplains were trained there before returning to the front.
Inside the house
The ground floor is partly open to visits.
In the hall,the staircase and its well are listed. It was part of the original building; so was the dining room panelling,whereas the one in the drawing room was put up after a fire at the beginning of the 19th century.
