The fief of Balleroy, near the
forest and
abbey of
Cerisy, was acquired on April 1, 1600 by Jean de Choisy, wine supplier at the court of
Henry IV. The castle was built from 1626 to 1636 by his son, Jean II de Choisy Built in bricks,
schist and
pierre de Caen, the castle has a central pavillon topped by a
roof lantern flanked by two lower buildings. The others are set around the gardens draughted by
André Le Nôtre. The interior of the castle offers a grand salon remarkable for its paintings of
Pierre Mignard :
Le Char du Soleil, portraits of
Louis XIII and the family of his son
Louis XIV, The garden is cited by
Philippe Thébaud among the prettiest gardens in France.
Balloon Museum One of the pavilions hosts the
Ballons museum, by
Malcolm Forbes, which contains documents on the
Montgolfier brothers. The current owner is American philanthropist Roy T. Eddleman. Among the renowned inhabitants were
Albert de Balleroy (Albert Félix Justin de la Cour de Balleroy), 19th century
animal painter, friend of
Édouard Manet and the
groupe des Batignolles; for of his tableaux representing hunting scenes deck the castle living room.
Empress Eugénie possessed one of his œuvres.
Marcel Proust visited the Château along with
Paul Helleu, a visit that may have provided part of the inspiration for the "Château de Guermantes" in
In Search of Lost Time. == References ==