A Soul of Stone & Dreams
A centuries-old heritage restored with passion
Nestled in the heart of the Upper Loir Valley, between Chartres Cathedral and the enchantment of the Loire Valley châteaux, the Château de Moresville stands as a living testament to centuries of history and passion. Its thick stone walls hold the memories of kings, poets, warriors, and visionaries who once walked its ancestral floors.
1840
From Medieval Origins to the Elegance of the Grand Siècle
The history of the château is deeply rooted in the Middle Ages. A first fortress was built here in the 13th century, guarding the fertile lands of Beauce, once ruled by knights and lords. But it was in 1716, during the 18th century, that the château we know today was born. Inspired by the elegance of French classicism, its architects shaped a residence where noble proportions meet generous light.
In 1870, a majestic tower crowned its silhouette, reinforcing its stature as a prestigious estate.
Scattered across this enchanting domain stand witnesses of centuries past: a delicately timeworn dovecote and a chapel of ineffable grace, both reflected in a mirror-like body of water bordered by centuries-old trees.
1840
Illustrious Guests and Their Legends
The château welcomed figures who left their mark on French history. In 1584, Jacques Pellerin, squire to the king and trusted figure within the corridors of power, stayed here. Later came Adrien de Joues, Lord of Plancourt, whose presence imbued the estate with aristocratic distinction.
In 1790, Count Jean-Jacques de Goislard de Villebresne acquired the domain and made it his residence. Under his ownership, the château thrived with courtly life, echoing the refined elegance of the era.
1840
The Bonapartes and Marshal Murat:
The Brilliance of the First Empire
History took on a more dazzling turn when Caroline Bonaparte, sister of Napoleon, and her husband Marshal Joachim Murat—this legendary cavalryman whom the Emperor himself called a “Caesar” in battle—chose Moresville as their hunting retreat. Murat, King of Naples from 1808, a man of courage and flamboyance crowned by military glory, found moments of escape in these hunts.
Caroline, an intelligent and cultivated queen, relished the calm of these lands, far from the fervor of royal courts.
How many golden days illuminated the estate during these prestigious visits? How many riders galloped through the woods in the gleaming uniforms of the Empire? The château, a silent witness to such grandeur, has preserved within its walls the echoes of their laughter and conversations.
Maréchal Murat
Alfred de Musset
Alfred de Musset: The Romantic Poet and His Secrets
Perhaps the most beautiful secret held by these walls is the presence of Alfred de Musset, one of the greatest poets of French Romanticism. Born in 1810, this tormented writer and brilliant playwright—author of Lorenzaccio, On ne badine pas avec l’amour, Les Nuits—found refuge here.
A sensitive soul torn between excess and the pursuit of purity, Musset lived a tumultuous life alongside novelist George Sand, a passion so devastating that it inspired his greatest masterpieces. At Moresville, where his family stayed regularly, the poet found moments of rest and inspiration. Who knows which verses were born as he gazed upon the languid park or wandered through the estate’s avenues? His stays here resonated with the delicate melancholy that defines his genius.
The Modern Era and Restoration
In 1852, following the death of Count Jean-Jacques de Goislard de Villebresne, the estate passed to the Countess of Patras de Mesliers, his widow. Time continued its work, gently transforming the stones.
On December 28, 1876, Count Arthur de Villebresmevend concluded a major transaction, selling the Moresville lands to Étienne Auguste Ricois—a visionary and pioneer. He acquired not only the château and its outbuildings but also an impressive agricultural estate: fourteen hectares of woodland and four hundred hectares of cultivated land.
Ricois was far more than a landowner. A pioneer in seed genetics and mayor of Flacey, he embodied progress. In 1901, he already took part in the legendary Paris–Bordeaux automobile race, and his residence welcomed Presidents of the French Republic. Moresville had become the seat of a new vision of France.
After his death, the estate passed to great-nephews who visited only for autumn hunts. For seventy years, the sleeping château guarded its secrets, stirred only by these hunting escapades. The orangery fell silent, the dovecote lost its voices, and the chapel echoed less frequently.
The Rebirth of a Dream
In 1999, a new chapter began with the acquisition and meticulous restoration of the estate. After two years of passionate and respectful work, the château was restored and transformed into a place of hospitality, breathing new life into its dormant walls.
In the years that followed, the 18th-century orangery regained its original splendor, the 14th-century dovecote rediscovered its forgotten beauty, and crowning this restoration, the 15th-century chapel once again shone in the sunlight. Every recovered stone, every restored stained-glass window, every refined arch contributed to the redemption of this living heritage.
The park itself—long folded inward and dormant—was reimagined and replanted. Pathways were redesigned, perspectives renewed, creating an environment where nature and human vision unite in perfect harmony.
1840
An Enchanted Present
Today, the Château de Moresville welcomes its guests as a dream residence. It offers comfortable rooms equipped with modern refinement, while every detail recalls its glorious past. The refined salons evoke the conversations of the great figures of history. The historic orangery reveals its former splendor as a reception hall.
Weddings celebrated here resonate with the same promise of eternal love once whispered by Caroline and Joachim during their walks. Professional seminars draw strength from the certainty that great minds once contemplated these same gardens. Private receptions unfold under the benevolent gaze of ancestors.
The estate boasts a wellness area, a serene swimming pool, and modern facilities where luxury meets authenticity. Over breakfast beneath the shade of trees, guests may contemplate the mirror-like water while pheasants and deer coexist peacefully in this rediscovered paradise.
1840 - Suite Cristal
The Soul of the Château
Ultimately, the Château de Moresville is not merely a succession of walls and roofs, dates and names. It is a breath of time, a collection of stories whispered by stone to attentive ears. From medieval fortress to classical residence, from the splendor of the First Empire to the poetic genius of Romanticism, from agricultural traditions to modern vision—it stands as a testament to the continuity of French life.
Crossing the threshold of Moresville means entering not only a historic château, but a living museum where every corner tells a story, where every window opens onto centuries of human emotion. It is a place where past and present gently embrace, where nostalgia meets modernity, and where something ineffable rises from floors worn by illustrious footsteps, from fireplaces that have glowed through a thousand winters, from gardens that have reflected love and ambition.
