THE HOUSES OF THE ROTHSCHILDS - [2] - Le Château de Ferrières

Le Château de Ferrières was built between 1855 and 1859 by Baron James de Rothschild. Rothschild ownership of the Château de Ferrières was passed down through the male line according to the rule of primogeniture. Considered the most important 19th century château in France, it is located in Ferrières-en-Brie about 26 km east of Paris.

The inspiration for the design of Ferrières was Mentmore Towers in Buckinghamshire, England, the house Paxton built for Baron James's cousin Mayer Amschel de Rothschild. On seeing Mentmore, Baron James is reputed to have summoned Paxton and ordered "Build me a Mentmore, but twice the size".

Built in the Neo-Renaissance style inspired by architecture of the Italian Renaissance, with square towers at each corner, the house sits on a formal terrace that gives way to 1.25 km² of gardens in a parkland landscaped à l'anglaise that was part of a surrounding 30 km² forest contained in the estate. The showpiece central hall is 120 feet (37 m) long and 60 feet (18 m) high, its roof a full glass skylight.

Guy de Rothschild and his wife charitably donated the château to the chancellery of the University of Paris, and it is now open to the public for guided tours and special events.

Certain scenes in the Roman Polanski film The Ninth Gate (2000) were filmed at the Château de Ferrières.