Château de L'Isle-Adam

The Château de L'Isle-Adam, now destroyed, could be found in the town of L'Isle-Adam in the department of Val-d'Oise; it was built on an island called the Île du Prieuré The building was connected with many illustrious families; the Lords of Adams, the Dukes of Villiers, the Dukes of Montmorency, the Princes of Condé and finally the Princes of Conti.

The first series of buildings on the site were in fact constructed in 825 along the two islands in L'Isle-Adam bordering the River Oise near where the present town of Nogent is today.

L'Isle Adam lived quietly until 1360 when it was sold to Pierre Villiers, the Grand Master of the Kings household.

In September 1527, the son of Antoine Villiers de L'Isle-Adam, Charles, bought the rights of purchase from all his siblings to stop the breakup of the estate.

Later on, Anne's grandson Henri de Montmorency was executed on the command of Louis XIII having been part of a conspiracy with Gaston d'Orléans.

At the death of Henri de Bourbon (Charlotte Marguerite's husband) in 1651, the Condé estate was divided up between their three children: L'Isle Adam was given to Armand, the Prince of Conti since 1629.

Armand de Bourbon was named the governor of Languedoc in 1660 having taken command of the army which in 1654, invaded Catalonia, where he captured three towns from the Spaniards.

He afterwards led the French forces in Italy, but after his defeat before Alessandria in 1657 retired to Languedoc, where he devoted himself to study and mysticism until his death.

In 1707, le Grand Conti managed to buy the whole of the Île du Prieuré from Jean-François de Chamillart, Bishop of Senlis and Prior of the earlier mentioned Saint Chrodegand.

Having lost his wife Louise Diane d'Orléans in childbirth in 1736 at Issy, Louis François retired to L'Isle Adam for two years where he threw himself into the excellent hunting space around the château.

In 1857, Madame Papon therefore undertook the construction of a small property on the Île du Prieuré in the Louis XIII style on the location of the former Conti château.

A bridge linked up the Île du Prieuré to Parmain and another to the L'île de la Cohue.

The site presented evident strategic interest, allowing the Middle Ages to check the passage on the Oise.