Château de Sassy, Heritage castle in Boischampré, France.

The Château de Sassy is a castle with classical French architecture, distinguished by symmetrical facades and pavilions at the entrance. The terraces descend gradually and are connected by staircases, creating an ordered, hierarchical sense of space.

Antoine François Le Bègue, count of Germiny, began the present building around 1760 on the foundations of an older fortress; work stalled during the Revolution and was completed under the Restoration by the count of Ormoy, owner from 1817. In 1850 Chancellor Pasquier bought the estate, enlarged it and remodelled the interior, and in 1862 it passed to his adopted heir Gaston d'Audiffret-Pasquier, whose descendants still live there.

The French formal garden was laid out from 1925 by landscape architect Achille Duchêne for Étienne d'Audiffret-Pasquier, deputy of the Orne from 1919 to 1942. Its parterres de broderie, orangerie and terraces with their staircases have been classified as monuments historiques since 6 November 1986. The château's library holds over 20,000 volumes, including works by jurist Étienne Pasquier.

The gardens are open to visitors at specific times, so it is best to check ahead before planning your visit. The interior of the castle requires advance notice to view, but the exterior and grounds can be explored without special arrangements.

The Greenwich meridian crosses the western wing of the château, so a visitor can stand on the line of 0° longitude at the end of that wing. The building sits at the edge of a forest, bordered by the canalised spring of Saint-Évroult, and overlooks an 800-hectare estate.