Travel Guide Chevreuse

As early as the 9th century, villagers who had settled on the steep slopes of the Yvette built a small abbey dedicated to Saint Saturnin. In 980, a papal bull mentioned the village of Cavrosa, which was transformed into "Chevreuse" ("goat country") at the end of the 12th century. Throughout the Middle Ages, the châtellerie de Chevreuse was subjected to a succession of wars; during the Hundred Years' War, it came under English domination, and by 1438, there were just 28 inhabitants. Over the centuries, the estate was occupied by several consecutive owners: François I made the barony a duchy in the middle and offered it to his favorite, Anne de Pisseleu. The site was then purchased in 1551 by the Cardinal de Lorraine, Duc de Guise, who decided to add the land of Dampierre, which became the residence of the Dukes of Chevreuse. Finally, a year after acquiring it, Louis XIV ceded the duchy to the Dames de Saint-Cyr (1693), who held it until the French Revolution. Today, the commune stretches along both sides of the Yvette River, overlooked by the silhouette of its imposing feudal castle. Rich in history and proud of its heritage, Chevreuse boasts a strong identity: Saint-Martin church, Saint-Lubin chapel, Saint-Saturnin priory, Montgomery family mausoleum, old houses, covered market halls and cobbled squares are all typical features of the ages, giving Chevreuse the image of a small town with character.