- Type
- Palace / château
- Origins
- 16th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Location
- Hauts-de-France, France
- Commissioned by
- Henry I of Lorraine, duke of Guise
- Architect
- Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine
- Coordinates
- 50.0494°, 1.4169°
History
The medieval fortress of Eu guarded the northern border of Normandy, and in December 1430 Joan of Arc was held prisoner there. In 1475 Louis XI had it razed after learning that the count of Eu had promised to hand it over to the English. Around 1580 Catherine of Cleves, Countess of Eu, and her husband Henry I, Duke of Guise, began the present palace, which was later enlarged by Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, known as La Grande Mademoiselle. From 1830 to 1848 it was Louis-Philippe's favourite summer residence, and his visits from Queen Victoria in 1843 and 1845 are seen as the start of the entente cordiale. After a fire in 1902 the château was restored by Gaston d'Orléans, Count of Eu, and his wife Isabel, heir to the Brazilian throne, who died here in 1921. The town bought the palace in 1964 and in 1973 installed its town hall and the Musée Louis-Philippe there.
What to see
The northern part of the palace houses the Musée Louis-Philippe, whose rooms are furnished with pieces and mementoes of the Orléans family; its highlight is the Guise Gallery with 46 portraits, whose decoration was recreated and reopened in 2014. The southern part is occupied by the town hall, which the mayor announced in 2026 would move out to make room for a larger museum. In front of the palace lie the main courtyard and a formal French garden, and the former royal park is a protected landscape; some park buildings, including the Pavillon Montpensier, remain private.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q2501434
Popularity: articles about this site in 11 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).