Dampierre (78). A few days before the “inauguration” of the new developments of the Parc du Château de Dampierre in the Yvelines, the work is still going well. In truth everything goes very quickly in Dampierre since “Franky” Mulliez, the owner of Kiloutou, bought the castle in 2018 to the Luynes family who had had it for 350 years and could not have the means to maintain it. As early as 2019, he reopened the park doors, then set up in 2024 a parking lot, a reception building and a shop for the public.
Restoring the French garden, in the southern flowerbed of the castle, was one of its priorities. Ours or Jules Hardouin-Mansart? Specialists do not agree on the author of the gardens. Christophe Bottineau, the chief architect of the historic monuments which follows the work, leans for Hardouin-Mansart who built the castle. Whatever the name of the gardener, he skillfully managed to exploit the topography of the places: the castle is located in a valley crossed by a river and bordered with two hillsides. He designed a double perspective – north/south between the two hillsides and east/west along the pond – playing drops to create different points of view depending on where we are.
Over time left only a large pool, said of the beautiful Hélène. The architect has reconstructed the seven other basins embellished with water jets and drawn new aisles bordered by topirs of Ifs and charmilles. On the other hand, no boxed hedges, and this for a question of cost, and especially of diseases because unless they are treated regularly the boxwood are all sick in Île-de-France. The statue of Hélène de Troy who overlooks the main basin had to be fully rebuilt, the original was in a pitiful state, according to Séverin des Mazery, the director of the domain, who explains that the Germans who resided in the castle during the occupation had become used to shooting the sculpted group.
The other great novelty for those who have already come to the park is the restoration of the pavilion on the island at the end of the pond, the sole vestige of a set of 18th century pavilions. The island having almost disappeared with the progressive siltation of the pond, it is possible to go on foot. The director likes to say that Marie Leszczynska, Louis XV and Marie-Antoinette came there. Versailles is three hours from Dampierre coach.
New visitors can especially go around the castle and the outbuildings, and in particular survey the three courses restored to the north. The main building has also been renovated on record deadlines. In less than four years – Covid included! -, a gigantic scaffolding and an umbrella protection of the frame have been set up, this one and the restored roof, the stones of the base and walls of the moats recovers and cleaned, the restored frames (230 doors and windows) as well as the bricks of the facade. Not to mention all the networks that had to be up to standard. Rachida Dati who had come in April 2024 inaugurating the installation of the honor grid had in a way marked its presence the end of the external work of the main house. It was on this occasion that she had pronounced her famous sentence: “You don’t have to do excavations to have fun …”
The castle will not be open before 2026 or 2027
Visitors will not be able to enter the castle, however, not for several years. Séverin des Mazery hesitates to give a date. In the reception hall, a panel indicates 2026, rather speaks to him of 2027. Everything remains to be done: restore the floors and interior sets which date for the most part of the 19th century (including the large unfinished wall table of Ingres), develop the spaces to expose the collection of decorative art in the 19th century in the 19th century of Franky Mulliez, and above all find funding.
Because after spending a hundred million for the acquisition and the first works, it is necessary to spend at least 60 million more to restore the interior of the main building, the closed and the cover of the two wings whose very degraded state gives a good idea of the state of the main house, the commons which extend on both sides … The founder of Kiloutou is no longer very eager to continue to finance the work to come or even the operation of the site. Because with approximately forty thousand paid visitors per year (€ 10 for adults), ticketing and options (shops, cafeteria, carriage rides) do not cover maintenance costs. The owner already put his project as a botanical vegetable garden and the coupling school that he was mentioned in 2019 during a visit to the site. The magazine Challenges estimates his fortune at 330 million euros, less what he has already spent. If all these figures are always to be used with caution, orders of magnitude are eloquent. And unlike the rest of the Mulliez family who pooled her heritage, Franky remained on the sidelines. Given the state of public finances, we do not see how the State will bring the tens of millions that are missing. The physiognomy of the domain in June 2025 risks continuing for many years.
