RoutesRoad cycling routesFranceCentre-Val de LoireDreuxLa Ferté-Vidame
Ferté-Vidame Castle – Château de Saint-Simon 🏰✨⚜️ loop from La Ferté-Vidame
RoutesRoad cycling routesFranceCentre-Val de LoireDreuxLa Ferté-Vidame
Ferté-Vidame Castle – Château de Saint-Simon 🏰✨⚜️ loop from La Ferté-Vidame
Easy
4.0
(1)
6
riders
Ferté-Vidame Castle – Château de Saint-Simon 🏰✨⚜️ loop from La Ferté-Vidame
00:54
22.2km
120m
Road cycling
Easy road ride. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.
Last updated: September 25, 2026
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After 133 m for 149 m
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Start point
Parking
1
27 m
Saint Nicholas Church - La Ferté-Vidame
Highlight • Religious Site
CHURCH
SAINT NICOLAS
(17th century)
The town of La Ferté-Vidame takes its name from the Latin Firmitas Castrum which means the fortified villa belonging to the vidame'.
Its primitive church existed from the 12th century.
We find it mentioned in a charter dated 1136 under the name “Ecclesia Sancti Nicolai de Firmitate”.
Under the Ancien Régime, the rectory which was at the disposal of the abbot of Saint-Vincent-des-Bois became an annex of the parish of Lamblore. This particular situation of a chief town of a castellany belonging to a rural parish is explained by the detachment of the original parish from the territory around the castle.
Successor to the Huguenot heirs, Claude de Rouvroy de Saint-Simon, proclaimed by the grace of Louis XIII duke and peer of France, acquired the La Ferté estate in 1632. In order to erase all traces of Protestantism, of which the church had become over the centuries a very active platform, the Duke of Saint-Simon ordered in 1658 the demolition of the original church to replace it on the same site with the current building. The work was carried out promptly. On November 1, 1659, the Saint-Nicolas church was blessed by Messire Louis Oudard de Germens, canon priest of Chartres.
Classic in style with its homogeneous and ordered composition, the church was built according to a plan in the shape of a Latin cross. Its construction was inspired by the drawings of the famous Italian architect, Andrea di Pietro Palladio, whose sketches Duke Saint-Simon had brought back from Spain.
The architecture remains faithful to the marriage of stone and brick while giving this alternation a fanciful touch. Very majestic, the facade is built according to the Italian pattern (bossed pilasters, superposition of orders, pediment, volutes), a style also in vogue in France since 1630.
The arms of the Saint-Simon family were engraved on a stone at the pediment of the portal and on two others on either side of the portal. They were burned during the Revolution. Today, only the date engraved on the frieze remains: 1659.
16 59
Square in plan, the bell tower, which adjoins the church in the northern part, is topped with a dome surmounted by a lantern. Two bells are housed in the bell tower: one dates from 1762, the second from 1813.
The history of the church is closely intertwined with that of the lords of the parish, including the families
Saint-Simon, Laborde, Bourbon-Penthievre and Bourbon-Orléans remain the most famous.
Grandstands accessible from the outside and opening onto the side chapels recall their presence.
In 1743, at the request of Louis de Saint-Simon, a great memoirist, the family vault was built in the Chapel of the Resurrection. A slab on the ground marks the location of the grave.
Unfortunately, during the Revolution, the tombs were desecrated, the bones of the benefactors were extracted from the vault and scattered in a common grave dug at the apse of the church.
The church was the subject of significant restorations at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, including the interior ornamentation of the building which is a manifestation of the neo-classical style.
SAINT NICOLAS
(17th century)
The town of La Ferté-Vidame takes its name from the Latin Firmitas Castrum which means the fortified villa belonging to the vidame'.
Its primitive church existed from the 12th century.
We find it mentioned in a charter dated 1136 under the name “Ecclesia Sancti Nicolai de Firmitate”.
Under the Ancien Régime, the rectory which was at the disposal of the abbot of Saint-Vincent-des-Bois became an annex of the parish of Lamblore. This particular situation of a chief town of a castellany belonging to a rural parish is explained by the detachment of the original parish from the territory around the castle.
Successor to the Huguenot heirs, Claude de Rouvroy de Saint-Simon, proclaimed by the grace of Louis XIII duke and peer of France, acquired the La Ferté estate in 1632. In order to erase all traces of Protestantism, of which the church had become over the centuries a very active platform, the Duke of Saint-Simon ordered in 1658 the demolition of the original church to replace it on the same site with the current building. The work was carried out promptly. On November 1, 1659, the Saint-Nicolas church was blessed by Messire Louis Oudard de Germens, canon priest of Chartres.
Classic in style with its homogeneous and ordered composition, the church was built according to a plan in the shape of a Latin cross. Its construction was inspired by the drawings of the famous Italian architect, Andrea di Pietro Palladio, whose sketches Duke Saint-Simon had brought back from Spain.
The architecture remains faithful to the marriage of stone and brick while giving this alternation a fanciful touch. Very majestic, the facade is built according to the Italian pattern (bossed pilasters, superposition of orders, pediment, volutes), a style also in vogue in France since 1630.
The arms of the Saint-Simon family were engraved on a stone at the pediment of the portal and on two others on either side of the portal. They were burned during the Revolution. Today, only the date engraved on the frieze remains: 1659.
16 59
Square in plan, the bell tower, which adjoins the church in the northern part, is topped with a dome surmounted by a lantern. Two bells are housed in the bell tower: one dates from 1762, the second from 1813.
The history of the church is closely intertwined with that of the lords of the parish, including the families
Saint-Simon, Laborde, Bourbon-Penthievre and Bourbon-Orléans remain the most famous.
Grandstands accessible from the outside and opening onto the side chapels recall their presence.
In 1743, at the request of Louis de Saint-Simon, a great memoirist, the family vault was built in the Chapel of the Resurrection. A slab on the ground marks the location of the grave.
Unfortunately, during the Revolution, the tombs were desecrated, the bones of the benefactors were extracted from the vault and scattered in a common grave dug at the apse of the church.
The church was the subject of significant restorations at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, including the interior ornamentation of the building which is a manifestation of the neo-classical style.
Translated by Google •
Tip by
2
133 m
Ferté-Vidame Castle
Highlight • Other
In 1374, the Vendôme family, who possessed the prestigious title of vidame de Chartres (officer in charge of exercising the military and judicial powers of the bishop), bought the estate and had a stone castle built. This same castle was then acquired in 1635 by Claude de Rouvroy, a favorite of Louis XIII. His son, Louis de Rouvroy, better known as the Duc de Saint-Simon, retired to this area to write some 12,000 pages of his Memoirs; chronicles of the last years of the reign and the court of King Louis XIV at Versailles who, between portraits and memories, dismantles the courtesan machine, and its springs of appearances and power. He also had the stable building built there, the current "small castle" now housing the Orée du Perche Tourist Office.
At the end of his life, Saint-Simon no longer had any male descendants and his granddaughter, who inherited the estate, sold it in 1764 to Jean-Joseph de Laborde, banker to the court of Louis XV and farmer general (in charge tax collection). The Marquis de Laborde holds one of the largest fortunes in France, which comes in particular from the slave trade. He had the medieval castle destroyed and launched the construction of a new building: it is the castle whose ruins can be admired today. This was built in just three years. Consisting of three floors, it would have had 167 rooms and its facade is 150 meters long. Laborde is not limited to the reconstruction of the castle, he also redevelops the city park: a huge area of 860 hectares, surrounded by a wall of 13 kilometers which makes it the second largest park in the region after Chambord. It is also the last French-style garden created in France, with a perspective of 1.5 kilometers.
At the end of his life, Saint-Simon no longer had any male descendants and his granddaughter, who inherited the estate, sold it in 1764 to Jean-Joseph de Laborde, banker to the court of Louis XV and farmer general (in charge tax collection). The Marquis de Laborde holds one of the largest fortunes in France, which comes in particular from the slave trade. He had the medieval castle destroyed and launched the construction of a new building: it is the castle whose ruins can be admired today. This was built in just three years. Consisting of three floors, it would have had 167 rooms and its facade is 150 meters long. Laborde is not limited to the reconstruction of the castle, he also redevelops the city park: a huge area of 860 hectares, surrounded by a wall of 13 kilometers which makes it the second largest park in the region after Chambord. It is also the last French-style garden created in France, with a perspective of 1.5 kilometers.
Translated by Google •
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3
208 m
Ruins of the Château de La Ferté-Vidame
Highlight • Castle
The Château de Saint-Simon dates from the 14th century and was the residence of the famous memoirist Louis de Rouvroy, Duke of Saint-Simon. You can admire the ruins of the castle, as well as the outbuildings (the "little castle"), which are still preserved and classified as historic monuments. You can enjoy panoramic views of the park and ponds surrounding the castle, and explore the surrounding forest and trails. The Château de Saint-Simon is a place where you can immerse yourself in the history and culture of France, and discover the life and writings of one of its most influential authors.
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4
261 m
Château de Saint-Simon 🏰✨⚜️
Highlight • Other
To visit with Gael, passionate and fascinating guide!
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5
2.72 km
Catholic Church - St-Martin de Lamblore
Highlight • Other
Martin was a Roman legionary in the 3rd century. He is known by this episode of his life by which he is represented: passing a poor man without clothes in the street, he cuts his legionnaire's coat in two to cover the unfortunate man.
What is less told is the sequel: in the night, Martin saw in a dream Jesus Christ wearing half a coat saying: "I am wearing Martin's coat".
This confirms a word of the Gospel: “Whatever you did to one of the least of these who are my brothers, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25.40)
Martin, having become a Christian, left the Legion, and approached Hilaire, the bishop of Poitiers. He suggested that he settle in Ligugé with a few disciples. The Ligugé monastery is still occupied by monks, successors of Saint-Martin. The work of Saint-Martin extended into the countryside, so much so that the inhabitants of Tour asked him to become their bishop.
What is less told is the sequel: in the night, Martin saw in a dream Jesus Christ wearing half a coat saying: "I am wearing Martin's coat".
This confirms a word of the Gospel: “Whatever you did to one of the least of these who are my brothers, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25.40)
Martin, having become a Christian, left the Legion, and approached Hilaire, the bishop of Poitiers. He suggested that he settle in Ligugé with a few disciples. The Ligugé monastery is still occupied by monks, successors of Saint-Martin. The work of Saint-Martin extended into the countryside, so much so that the inhabitants of Tour asked him to become their bishop.
Translated by Google •
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6
5.52 km
Saint Denis Church
Highlight • Other
Located 5 km northeast of La Ferté-Vidame, the Saint-Denis de Morvilliers church stands in the very center of the village. The rectory was the abbot of Saint-Père de Chartres, whose monks owned the church from the beginning of the 12th century. Two charters, dated 1126 and 1127, attest to this. This building comprises a single nave ending in a semicircular chevet. A timber-framed bell tower has crowned the western part of the roof since the 18th century. The west portal through which one enters this building is made of gray stone, unfortunately cemented with a decoration of false stones. The south wall is pierced by five narrow bays, probably from the 12th century. Four windows were installed in the 15th century on the north facade. A fifth, now blocked, was pierced in the apse at the same time. Inside, despite alterations, the church retains an exposed rafter frame forming a medieval truss. Curiously independent of the church structure, it rests on two rows of posts along the drip walls. The vault is paneled. The presence of frescoes could be detected under the plasterwork of the north wall.
For the restoration of the apse's frame and roof, the Sauvegarde de l'Art Français (French Art Protection Agency) awarded a grant of €16,769 in 2001.
For the restoration of the apse's frame and roof, the Sauvegarde de l'Art Français (French Art Protection Agency) awarded a grant of €16,769 in 2001.
Translated by Google •
Tip by
7
11.7 km
Saint-Pierre Church
Highlight • Religious Site
It probably dates back to the end of the 10th century, but the current building is much more recent. The portal dates from 1770 and the side aisle from 1556. There is a rich statuary from the first half of the 16th century as well as two stained glass windows from the 14th and 16th centuries and a carved wooden balustrade from the 17th century offered by Duke Louis de Saint-Simon.
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8
17.1 km
Saint-Pierre Church
Highlight • Religious Site
Church with a brick bell tower built between 1890 and 1898
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B
22.2 km
End point
Parking
Way Types & Surfaces
Way Types
21.8 km
396 m
Surfaces
21.8 km
185 m
149 m
< 100 m
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Tuesday 10 November
15°C
9°C
21 %
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