A castle for all: the long history of the Maison du citoyen, in Fontenay-sous-Bois
The current Citizen’s House is the result of multiple transformations of a large private residence and its hillside park during the second half of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The visit proposes to observe the current buildings and their outdoor spaces by seeking the testimonies of the various stages of evolution of the site. The hillside park that embellished the house, with its driveways, water features, earthworks, follies and annexes and its vegetable garden, first met the needs of the Belle-Vue institution, boarding school for girls. During the second half of the 20th century, these generous green spaces were gradually developed as part of a densification of the entire island that today masks the overall logic of the old estate, while preserving some traces and part of the vegetation. The two main wings and the adjoining buildings, which had been renovated several times, continued to be a collective residence. After the Chilean putsch, the priests of the Mission of France who occupied the property, welcomed refugee families from 1973 to 1987. Come and discover the castle/ house of associations and citizens, meeting place that allows everyone to enjoy an exceptional site, testimony of a long history marked by significant moments of welcome and solidarity. Guided tour by Franca Malservisi, architect and doctor in history of architecture at the Council of Architecture, Urbanism and Environment of Val-de-Marne.