Un voyage à travers le temps

In 1801, Anastasie Motier de La Fayette, daughter of the renowned Marquis de La Fayette, and her husband, Count Charles de Fay de la Tour-Maubourg, became the owners of a former hunting lodge in La Chapelle-Rablais, Seine-et-Marne. Appointed mayor of the village in 1830, the Count continued to hold the property until his passing in 1846. Shortly thereafter, in 1848, Château des Moyeux rose upon the very foundations of the original lodge, marking the beginning of a new chapter in the estate’s history.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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The château later became the residence of Éléonore Vergeot (1820–1886), the companion of Emperor Napoleon III, who lived there with her two sons, Eugène Alexandre Louis and Louis Alexandre Ernest, both born of the emperor in the 1840s. Following her marriage in 1858 to Pierre Bure—Napoleon III’s foster brother—the children adopted his name. In 1865, Éléonore and her husband formally acquired Château des Moyeux. Their time there, however, came to an abrupt end after the defeat at Sedan in 1870, when political upheaval compelled the family to abandon the estate and settle in Paris.

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On 13 July 1872, Château des Moyeux entered a new era when it was acquired by François Hubert Debrousse, a prosperous entrepreneur in public works. At his death in 1878, he left behind a considerable fortune. His widow, Marie-Félicie Dessans, later devoted part of this legacy to philanthropy, founding the Debrousse Hospice in Paris in 1892, followed by the Debrousse Foundation, which would go on to support, among other initiatives, the scientific research of Pierre and Marie Curie.

The couple’s only son, Jean Hubert Debrousse, died in 1899 without heirs, leaving his entire estate to the Paris Public Assistance. Included in this bequest was Château des Moyeux, which was subsequently sold in 1900 to Monsieur and Madame Rigaud, renowned figures in the world of perfumery.

Under the direction of Esther Rigaud, the château underwent a remarkable transformation. She furnished the residence with fine antiques, Sèvres and Chinese porcelains, crystal chandeliers, and richly woven tapestries. Though considered a country retreat, she ensured the château was suitable for year-round living, installing modern comforts such as heating, hot water, and a telephone. A winter garden was also added during this period.

The estate flourished under her stewardship. Surrounding the château were vegetable gardens, greenhouses, an orangery, and a stud farm, along with agricultural lands and woodlands extending across nearly 1,000 hectares. Château des Moyeux reached its apogee during these years, before being sold following Esther Rigaud’s death in 1920.