Château de Coulommiers-en-Brie, Castle remains in Coulommiers, France

The Château de Coulommiers-en-Brie was a 17th-century castle on the site of today's Parc des Capucins in Coulommiers. Demolished between 1736 and 1738, it survives only through the guard pavilions built to François Mansart's plans, the entrance porch at the back of the courtyard and the concave porticoes designed by Salomon de Brosse. Two small stone pavilions with steep brown-tiled hipped roofs stand behind a low single-arch bridge whose parapet is covered in ivy.

Catherine de Gonzague, Duchess of Longueville, had the castle rebuilt from 1613 to designs by Salomon de Brosse, with work supervised by Charles Du Ry. At her death in 1629 the entrance wing was still unbuilt. Her son Henri II d'Orléans engaged François Mansart in 1631, and in 1649 Mansart added two galleries and a bath apartment with an Italian-style salon. The Duke of Luynes demolished the castle between 1736 and 1738 because the site was unhealthy.

The site is now the Parc des Capucins, named after the Capuchin convent that occupied the grounds after the castle was demolished. Visitors can still see the two guard pavilions, built to François Mansart's plans, and the entrance porch at the back of the courtyard, along with the concave porticoes designed by Salomon de Brosse.

The site is accessible through the Parc des Capucins, where the preserved pavilions and entrance structures can be visited freely. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended for exploring the grounds thoroughly.

The two stone guard pavilions standing by the ivy-covered bridge arch are the work of François Mansart, who took over the site in 1631. The entrance porch at the back of the courtyard and the concave porticoes in its rear corners follow Salomon de Brosse's drawings.