Château de Vitry-sur-Seine

Château de Vitry-sur-Seine was an 18th century structure displaying classical French architecture, with a grand entrance gate and paved courtyard. The iron-gated park was designed by architect Robert de Cotte.

Claude-François Paparel, treasurer for Louis XIV's military campaigns, commissioned the structure in 1708 but lost his holdings through political upheaval. The changes of that era ended his privileged position.

The castle served as the hub of a working estate with stables, barns, and storage buildings that fed the region's agricultural needs. These structures shaped the local landscape and revealed how the property operated as a self-sufficient domain.

The site exists only as street names today, since the structure was demolished in 1912. To trace its history, you can explore the plaques and street signs that mark where it once stood.

During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, a section served as a hospital for soldiers wounded in the siege of Paris. This unexpected use shows how private buildings were repurposed for urgent public needs during conflict.