Can you visit the Château de Villiers in Cerny?

The château is privately owned and now used mainly for events, and it does not appear to offer regular public tours.

Who owned the Château de Villiers?

Owners included the Selve family for over three centuries, then the Dorlodot des Essarts family, the Herlicq family, and actor Philippe Clay from 1959 to 2001.

Why is the château linked to prisons?

The estate is said to have belonged to Olivier Le Daim, Louis XI's barber and confidant, and it still contains cells and a dungeon door attributed to that era.

Who designed the park of the Château de Villiers?

The park follows the landscape method of Paul de Lavenne de Choulot, outlined in his 1863 book on garden art.

Château de Villiers

Villiers Castle

Cerny

Visit

Hours to be confirmed

Book a visit

You are leaving for the château’s own website

Where: Cerny

Hours and prices not verified at the source yet.Check on the official website

To make a day of it

Open within 20 km

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Château de Courson (Courson Castle)castle usually open only on Sundays and public holidays; from 18 April to 3 May 202619 km

Sleep nearby

Château de Villiers stands in Cerny (Essonne), in the Île-de-France region of France. Its opening hours and prices have not been verified at the source yet.

The Château de Villiers stands in the commune of Cerny, in the Essonne department, on the site of a former fief once known as Villiers-le-Châtel. It passed through several families, including the Selve family for more than three centuries, before becoming in the twentieth century the home of actor and singer Philippe Clay. The estate still holds traces of its past, including former prison cells and a dungeon door linked to Olivier Le Daim, confidant of King Louis XI. Its park was laid out according to the landscape method devised by Paul de Lavenne de Choulot, published in his 1863 treatise on garden design.

Written from Château de Villiers (Cerny)

What to know

The château is privately owned and currently used as a venue for weddings and private events.
It does not appear, as far as known, to be open for regular public visits.
The estate is located in Cerny, in the southern part of the Essonne department.
The most notable historical features, former cells and a dungeon door, are found in the older, underground parts of the building.

Where this château is

Cerny · Essonne · Île-de-France

Map of the area around Château de Villiers

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

Cerny, Essonne

Directions open from wherever you are, by car or public transport.

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Heritage status: Protection status unknown

In pictures

Frequently asked

Can you visit the Château de Villiers in Cerny?: The château is privately owned and now used mainly for events, and it does not appear to offer regular public tours.
Who owned the Château de Villiers?: Owners included the Selve family for over three centuries, then the Dorlodot des Essarts family, the Herlicq family, and actor Philippe Clay from 1959 to 2001.
Why is the château linked to prisons?: The estate is said to have belonged to Olivier Le Daim, Louis XI's barber and confidant, and it still contains cells and a dungeon door attributed to that era.
Who designed the park of the Château de Villiers?: The park follows the landscape method of Paul de Lavenne de Choulot, outlined in his 1863 book on garden art.