Tourist attractions Étampes

The wars of religion destroyed the sculptures on the south doorway which is now often compared to the Royal doorway in Chartres. As a consolation, there is a fine Roman bell-tower, an astonishing variety of interior perspectives, two decapitated colu..

In a 98ha English-style park laid out around 1780 by Hubert Robert today restored to its original appearance, stands a sober Louis XIII-style château built in 1654. The fine ground floor rooms and chapel, located in one of the courtyard pavilions, ..

Dourdan’s picturesque Général-de-Gaulle Square is the site of all the town’s main monuments: the castle, medieval market building (rebuilt in 1836) and 12C-13C church, with its 17C pointed lantern spires dominating the valley.

From this narrow square, extremely busy on market days, take rue du Pont-Doré for a pleasant view across the river, its bridges and old wash houses.

The collections include a superb 12C grill taken from the ancient Morigny abbey, the head of a King of Judah from Notre-Dame collegiate and the midget King of Bouray, in bronze plate.

It overlooks the town from the middle of a small wood. It was the castle keep, built to a very rare, four-petalled rose design, and its name comes from the old French word «guigner» meaning «watch», since it was used as a watchtower. Taken by Henry I..

Built separately from the church in the 16C, subsidence caused the tower to lose its balance and the architect to lose sleep. After numerous attempts at repair, in desperation he joined the base to the church. The interior of the church with alternat..

The structures in Jeurre park were taken from Méréville park and rebuilt here in the late 19C. They include the rostral column and Cook's cenotaph , by Pajou, the temple of filial Piety (a copy of a Tivoli temple) and the façade of the dairy wit..