Château de Maintenon

Château de Maintenon is a historic château in the town of Maintenon in Eure-et-Loir, Centre-Val de Loire, notable for its association with Madame de Maintenon in the late 17th century. The estate also includes the remains of a major aqueduct project intended to supply water to Versailles.

The original medieval fortress was transformed into a residence over successive centuries and became linked to Françoise d’Aubigné, later Madame de Maintenon, who took up residence there in the late 1600s. In the reign of Louis XIV an aqueduct was begun to carry water from the Eure to Versailles but the project was never completed.

The château stands in Maintenon, Eure-et-Loir, on the border of the Loire Valley region and about 65-75 km southwest of central Paris by road. The surrounding landscape is river valley and cultivated countryside with the town of Maintenon adjacent to the estate.

• Madame de Maintenon: Strongly associated with the household of Madame de Maintenon, who lived here in the late 17th century and whose connection attracts many visitors.
• Viewing and distance: Good viewing points include the château terraces and the approaches to the aqueduct, with the site about 65-75 km southwest of central Paris by road.

What to See #

• Main château: The château itself with period salons that are open to the public during set visiting hours and display furnishings linked to the late 17th and 18th centuries.
• Aqueduct: The unfinished aqueduct project on the adjacent estate, begun to carry water from the Eure towards Versailles, which remains visible as a large engineered structure nearby.