Montceaux-lès-Meaux
Montceaux-lès-Meaux is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.Montceaux is known for the former château, which Henri II gave to Catherine de' Medici in 1556 and was her earliest building project. The building consisted of a central pavilion housing a straight staircase, and two wings with a pavilion at each end. Catherine wanted to cover the alley in the garden where Henry played pall-mall, an early form of croquet. For this commission, Philibert de l'Orme built her a grotto set on a base made to look like natural rock, from which guests could watch the games while taking refreshments. The work was completed in 1558 but has not survived. Given by Henri IV to Marie de' Medici, the château ceased to be used as a royal residence after 1640, and had fallen into ruin by the time it was demolished by revolutionary decree in 1798. Some ruins remain, a chapel and the buildings of the forecourt, transformed into private dwellings; parts of the east wing are farm buildings.
The château is listed as a Monument historique since 2005 by the French Ministry of Culture.Demographics
Inhabitants are called Monticellois.
