Château des Fontaines

The Château des Fontaines is a historic château located in Gouvieux near Chantilly, in the Oise, in the Hauts-de-France region.

History

The château was begun by Baron James Edouard de Rothschild in 1879 and finished by his widow, Thérèse von Rothschild in 1882. The house was designed according to James' plans by architect Félix Langlais, who also designed the Château d'Armainvilliers and renovated the Hôtel de Pontalba and Vaux-de-Cernay Abbey for the Rothschild family. James also gave instructions for the decoration and furnishing of the house. In the town of Gouvieux, Thérèse founded a dispensary, a school and a library.
The château was designed in an eclectic mix of styles, including medieval, early 17th century, Louis XIV style. It featured steep-pitched roofs, the polychrome stone and brickwork and its high turrets. Thérèse made the château her summer residence until her death in 1931, continuing to use it even after she had made it over to her son, Henri, on his marriage in 1895 to Mathilde Weisweiller. Reportedly, Henri rarely visited but his son, Philippe, spent summers at the château with his grandmother.

The château was occupied by the Nazis during World War II, and in 1946 was taken over by the Jesuits who set up a library and research center there. In 1970 it became the Cultural Center of Fontaines. In 1998, the Paris-based consulting firm Capgemini acquired the château.