Three centuries of history

From its creation by Nicolas Fouquet to its current stewardship by the de Vogüé family, the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte has always remained a private residence.

Vaux-le-Vicomte was born from the bold dream of Nicolas Fouquet, Superintendent of Finances to Louis XIV. In 1653, he set out to build an extraordinary estate—a symbol of his power and refined taste for the arts.
But in 1661, his fate changed dramatically: he was arrested on the orders of King Louis XIV, who, jealous of his influence and determined to make an example of him, had him sentenced to life imprisonment after a trial that lasted over three years. The king seized Fouquet’s assets, confiscated his collections, dismantled parts of the interiors, and dispersed the château’s treasures.

Yet thanks to the courage and determination of Fouquet’s wife, Marie-Madeleine de Castille, Vaux-le-Vicomte was not lost to oblivion. In 1673, after many efforts, she succeeded in reclaiming the estate. She lived there with their son, although the château—stripped and disgraced—remained a silent witness to the family’s downfall. Vaux became a more discreet place, imbued with quiet memory.

After Nicolas Fouquet: Three Successive Families

In the 18th century, the estate passed through several hands before being purchased in 1705 by Marshal de Villars, a renowned general under Louis XIV. Though he seldom resided at Vaux, he preserved the integrity of the estate. His son inherited it, but in 1764 the family sold the château to the Praslin family (a branch of the Choiseul-Praslin line), who kept it for over a century—including 30 years of abandonment—before finally putting it back on the market.

In July 1875, the estate was sold at a public auction. The château stood empty, and the once-magnificent French formal gardens had fallen into ruin. It was then that Alfred Sommier, a wealthy industrialist and passionate art collector, purchased the estate. He undertook a remarkable restoration, remaining faithful to the original style and spirit. He carried out immense restoration work, refurnished the rooms, restored the interiors, and revived the classical splendor of the gardens—saving Vaux-le-Vicomte from a slow disappearance and honoring its original creator.

Alfred Sommier’s love of fine arts was shaped in the splendid townhouse built by his family on Rue de l’Arcade in Paris. In 2018, this residence was transformed into a luxury hotel named Hôtel Alfred Sommier.