Château des Blondes, 18th-century castle in Sassenage, France
Château des Blondes is an 18th-century building with four stories, two projecting sections resembling towers, and original facades still intact. Today it serves as Sassenage's town hall and houses municipal offices.
Built in 1786, this place originally functioned as a lace factory and housing for around 300 young women from rural villages. This dual purpose as workshop and home made it a key center of local employment and social support.
The lace made here, called blonde, became known across France and was favored by royalty. Visitors can still sense how this craft shaped the place's identity and local pride.
The building is easily accessible from outside and sits centrally in Sassenage, making it a natural landmark when exploring the town. An underground pedestrian tunnel connects it to a nearby park and other administrative buildings, providing convenient access to the wider complex.
The building leads a double life: by day it serves as town administration, yet its walls still remember when hundreds of women worked here making lace by hand. This shift from factory to government office shows how a place can transform while carrying its past.
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