History

The Castle
The first known engraving dates back to the XV century and the castle is in the family since 1640, by the wedding of “Edmée de la Platière” with “François d’Esttut”, lord of Tracy.

Since then, the castle of Paray has always been in that family. Some of them became quite illustrious, as “Antoine” who represented the nobility in the French assembly, “Les Etats Généraux”, before to ally himself with the “Tiers Etat".

Cavalry commander, under the orders of “la Fayette”, he was imprisoned in 1793. Student of “Buffon” (French naturalist) and “Lavoisier” ( French chemist), he took advantage of his forced rest to draw up his philosophical system, also known the “Ideologist”. Irremovable senator until 1848, he was also a member of the French Academy.

His son “Victor d’Esttut”, Marquis de Tracy (1781 – 1864), served in the army until 1848, and was elected deputy, to represent the administrative division of the “Département de l’Allier”. Simultaneously he was appointed Minister of the French Navy. Agronomist of great talent, he spent a lot of time to develop the “Sologne”. A friend of “Mathieu de Dombasle”, “Victor d’Esttut” was the first to use his plough.

The portraits of “Victor de Tracy” and his wife “Sarah Newton” are on display in the castle’s library.

In 1880, “Jacques, Marquis de Tracy” added a wing to the castle, doubling the it’s volume.

Destroyed almost completely in 1968 in a blaze, the present owner “Claude, Marquis de Tracy” rebuilt the castle to it’s former proportions.

The Chapel
In front of the castle, by following the alley to the “Charmille”, one arrives to the chapel. This small edifice was built in 1719, for the wedding of “Joseph d’Esttut de Tracy” with “Charlotte Bénédictine Victoire Marion de Druy”. The coat of arms are chiseled above the entrance. The chapel was close down at the end of the XIX century.