Château de Mesnil-Voisin, château in Bouray-sur-Juine, Essonne, France

Château de Mesnil-Voisin is a symmetrical stone building with a central block and two wings, built in 1635–1636 by Michel Villedo on medieval foundations. Pale grey-beige masonry under dark slate roofs is pierced by dormer windows and chimneys; the central block rises to a square dome with a lantern and clock face. A tall wrought-iron gate flanked by two sculpted stone lions stands in front.

A medieval manor on the site was demolished in 1633-1634; Pierre Hérouard began rebuilding in 1635, and Claude Cornuel, Louis XIII's finance intendant, had Michel Villedo complete it in 1636. In May 1652 the young Louis XIV and Mazarin stayed here during the siege of Étampes. Daniel Voysin de La Noiraye, war secretary and chancellor of France, gave the estate his name; it stayed with his descendants for over two centuries.

The name Voysin comes from Daniel Voysin de La Noiraye, secretary of state for war and chancellor of France under Louis XIV, whose descendants kept the estate for over two centuries. In May 1652 the young Louis XIV and Mazarin stayed here during the siege of Étampes. The Celtic statuette known as the Dieu de Bouray was found around 1845 when the Juine was dredged beside the château.

The château stands at 1, rue de Lardy in Bouray-sur-Juine, on the right bank of the Juine and closer to Lardy's centre than to Bouray's; reach it by the RD17. It is private and opens only for organised events, so arrange a visit in advance.

The estate contains a remarkable dovecote structure with hundreds of nesting compartments that survives from earlier centuries. Its interior staircase remains original and movable, a construction method rarely seen in comparable French buildings.