Practice your French with this easy bilingual French English story about Maintenon castle, not far from Paris.
1 â Visiting Maintenon Castle
Use the floating blue icon in the bottom right to hide/reveal the English translations below.
Le ChĂąteau de Maintenon est vraiment un bijou cachĂ©. SituĂ© Ă 90 km au sud-ouest de Paris, loin des villes touristiques, câest un endroit parfait pour passer quelques heures paisibles sans la foule quâon trouve souvent dans les chĂąteaux plus connus.
Le ChĂąteau de Maintenon is really a hidden gem. Located 90 km southwest of Paris, far from tourist towns, itâs a perfect place to pass several peaceful hours without the crowds that one often finds at better known castles.

2 â How To Get To Maintenon Castle
Ma femme et moi sommes descendus du train Ă la gare de Maintenon un dimanche matin dâoctobre. Il faisait trĂšs beau malgrĂ© la fraĂźcheur de lâair. La gare elle-mĂȘme Ă©tait fermĂ©e et il nây avait pas de plan pour nous informer oĂč se trouvait le chĂąteau.
My wife and I got off the train at the Maintenon station one Sunday morning in October. The weather was nice despite the coolness in the air. The train station itself was closed and there was no map to tell us where to find the castle.
Jâai demandĂ© Ă un homme que jâai vu prĂšs de la gare sâil pouvait nous diriger vers le chĂąteau. Mais il a rĂ©pondu quâil nâĂ©tait pas du coin. Donc, on a consultĂ© le GPS sur mon portable et dĂ©cidĂ© de prendre la rue devant nous. AprĂšs avoir marchĂ© vingt minutes, on est arrivĂ©s au chĂąteau.
I asked a man who I saw near the station if he could direct us toward the castle. But he answered that he was not from there. So, we consulted the GPS on my phone and decided to take the road in front of us. After a walk of 20 minutes, we arrived at the castle.

3 â The Story of Madame de Maintenon
Un chùteau exceptionnellement préservé qui date du 13iÚme siÚcle, son apparence actuelle est le résultat des nouvelles constructions et des rénovations qui ont été faites aux 16iÚme, 17iÚme, et 19iÚme siÚcles. Au cours de son existence, le chùteau a eu plusieurs propriétaires mais celui qui est le plus connu est Madame de Maintenon.
An exceptionally well preserved castle dating from the 13th century, itâs current appearance is the result of new construction and renovation that was done in the 16th, 17th, and 19th centuries. During its life, the castle has had a number of owners but the one who is best known is Madame de Maintenon.

Dâabord gouvernante pour les enfants illĂ©gitimes de Madame de Montespan, la favorite du Roi Louis XIV, Madame de Maintenon a achetĂ© le chĂąteau en 1674 grĂące Ă la largesse du Roi. Et quand je dis largesse, je suis poli, car en fait Madame de Maintenon est vite devenue la maĂźtresse du Roi, tant et si bien quâelle est arrivĂ©e Ă remplacer Madame de Montespan et devenir la favorite du Roi.
Initially a governess for the illegitimate children of Madame de Montespan, the mistress of King Louis XIV, Madame de Maintenon bought the chĂąteau in 1674 thanks to the generosity of the King. And when I say generosity, I am being polite, because in fact Madame de Maintenon quickly became the mistress of the King to the extent that she replaced Madame de Montespan as the Kingâs favorite.

4 â Madame de Maintenon Secret Wedding
AprĂšs la mort de la Reine, Marie-ThĂ©rĂšse dâAutriche, Madame de Maintenon serait mĂȘme devenue la deuxiĂšme Ă©pouse de Louis XIV en octobre 1683 lors dâune cĂ©rĂ©monie dans laquelle le PĂšre François de la Chaise (son nom est attachĂ© au cĂ©lĂšbre cimetiĂšre de Paris) aurait donnĂ© la bĂ©nĂ©diction nuptiale au couple royal.
After the death of the Queen, Marie-ThĂ©rĂšse dâAutriche, Madame de Maintenon would even become the second wife of Louis XIV in October 1683 during a ceremony in which Father François de la Chaise (his name is tied to the famous cemetery in Paris) would have given the nuptial blessing to the royal couple.
Le mariage aurait eu lieu en secret parce que Madame de Maintenon nâappartenait pas Ă une famille noble. Elle devait vraiment ĂȘtre charmante pour que le Roi commette une telle hĂ©rĂ©sie ! Le Roi a plus tard ordonnĂ© la construction dâune aile supplĂ©mentaire au chĂąteau qui lâa considĂ©rablement agrandi. Malheureusement, câest interdit de prendre lâintĂ©rieur du chĂąteau en photo.
The marriage would have taken place in secret because Madame de Maintenon did not come from a noble family. She must have really been charming for the King to commit such a heresy! The King later ordered the construction of an additional wing for the castle which considerably enlarged it. Unfortunately, it is forbidden to take photos inside the castle.

5 â The Aqueduct in Maintenon
Une autre structure impressionnante quâon peut admirer le terrain du chĂąteau est le vestige dâun grand aqueduc. OrdonnĂ© par le Roi pour alimenter les fontaines et bassins de Versailles, et Ă lâaide dâun dessin inspirĂ© du pont du Gard (le fameux aqueduc construit par les romains dans le sud de la France).
Another impressive structure that one can admire on the grounds of the castle is the vestige of a large aqueduct. Ordered by the King in order to supply the fountains and pools of Versailles, and helped by a design inspired by the pont du Gard (the famous aqueduct built by the Romans in the south of France).

La construction de lâaqueduc du chĂąteau a dĂ©butĂ© en 1685 sous la direction de Vauban, lâingĂ©nieur de Louis XIV et architecte cĂ©lĂšbre de cette Ă©poque-lĂ . Bien que jamais achevĂ©, cette structure domine encore la vue du jardin du chĂąteau.
The construction of the aqueduct began in 1685 under the direction of Vauban, Louis XIVâs engineer and celebrated architect of the time. Although never finished, this structure still dominates the view from the garden of the castle.

6 â A Strange Encounter in Maintenon
En sortant du chĂąteau, on a rencontrĂ© un homme en costume qui comprenait une perruque volumineuse. Il mâa permis de le prendre en photo, et je lui ai demandĂ© sâil Ă©tait habillĂ© comme Louis XIV. Il a rĂ©pondu, « Pas aujourdâhui. Aujourdâhui, je suis en Garde suisse ». Je nâai rien compris⊠quâest-ce que les Suisses venaient faire ici ??
Upon leaving the castle, we met a man in costume including an enormous wig. He allowed me to take his photo, and I asked him if he was dressed as Louis XIV. He answered, âNot today. Today, I am a Swiss Guardâ. I didnât understand⊠what are the Swiss doing here?
AprĂšs avoir cherchĂ© sur lâinternet, jâai compris que les gardes Suisse Ă©taient les gardes du Pape (pas de la Suisse). Je ne sais toujours pas pourquoi cet homme sâĂ©tait dĂ©guisĂ© en garde pontificale.
After an internet search, I understood that the Swiss guards were the Popeâs guards (not the Swiss). I still do not know why this man was dressed up as a papal guard.

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