Château de Blérancourt, Historical castle in Blérancourt, France.
The Château de Blérancourt stands in Blérancourt, in the Aisne department of Hauts-de-France. Of Salomon de Brosse's 1612–1619 design, only the monumental gateway and two separate pavilions remain, built of cut stone on an artificial terrace. The gateway has a rounded arch under a sculpted pediment, flanked by paired columns; the low wings end in pavilions with slate roofs and round oculus windows above shuttered windows.
Louis Potier de Gesvres bought the seigneurie in 1595 and passed it to his son Bernard Potier, who had Salomon de Brosse build the stone château on an artificial terrace from 1612 to 1619. Declared a national asset in 1792, it was sold and dismantled, leaving only the gateway and two pavilions. Anne Morgan bought the ruins in 1919, and reconstruction under Jean Trouvelot from 1924 led to the museum opened in the 1930s.
The museum was founded on Anne Morgan's initiative in 1924 and became the national museum of Franco-American cooperation in 1931. Its collections cover the birth of the Franco-American friendship in the 18th century, 19th- and 20th-century artistic exchanges, works by Joseph-Félix Bouchor, and photographs and films from Morgan's archives. The south pavilion, rebuilt in 1938, holds memories of American volunteers of the Great War.
The entrance portal and the two corner pavilions stand on the place du Général-Leclerc, facing the village square; the museum buildings and the Jardins du Nouveau Monde lie behind them, across the bridge over the former moats. The gardens cover about one hectare and are open all year. The museum closed in 2005 for works and reopened in stages from 2011 to 2017.
The gardens surrounding the castle are divided into four distinct themed areas that feature French and American plant species. These gardens were specifically designed to connect the botanical traditions of both countries.
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