Étangs de Corot, Historic ponds in Ville-d'Avray, France
The Étangs de Corot are two connected ponds in Ville-d'Avray, with the Old Pond covering about 1 hectare and the New Pond about 3 hectares. They sit surrounded by forest and form a water landscape across the site.
The New Pond was created in 1690 by Philippe d'Orléans, brother of Louis XIV, to supply water to the fountains at Saint-Cloud Palace. This connection through underground aqueducts made the ponds part of an elaborate royal water system.
The painter Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot spent years capturing these ponds in his work, and his paintings now hang in major museums around the world. Walking here, you stand in the same spots where the artist once studied the light and water.
The site is best explored on foot with easy paths around the ponds. Spring and autumn are ideal times to visit when the weather is mild and the scenery is particularly appealing.
The water system collects rainwater from the neighboring forest through special gathering channels. An underground network drains groundwater and connects these ponds to a larger royal water infrastructure.
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