City of Seine-et-Marne in the Ile-de-France region, Lésigny takes place about twenty kilometers from Paris, on the edge of the forest of Notre-Dame. Former agricultural village, the municipality bordering Ozoir-la-Ferrière and Pontault-Combault, is today an important residential center.
Occupied since the Gallo-Roman period, the territory of Lésigny was long the property of two abbeys, that of Hyverneau and that of Monthéty. Parishes recognized at the end of the fourteenth century, the town owes its fame to its castle, that of Poncher, which knew a rather turbulent history, especially during the Fronde.
Dynamic, the city of Lésigny regularly attracts the world of cinema and television for shoots as prestigious as the Dangerous Liaisons of Stephen Frears, Versailles series, or even A French village.
There are several monuments of interest in the commune of Lésigny, whether religious or not.
The castle of Lésigny is surely the most important tourist site of the municipality. Built in the Renaissance, it takes place on an old medieval fortress surrounded by moat. Embellished over the centuries, especially by its owners like the Concini, the building suffered a lot of damage during the Fronde and its violent battles. Amputee of fifteen hectares by the route of the Francilienne, the castle of Lésigny regained its splendor following major renovations at the end of the XXth century. It is a great place to shoot, it is regularly opened during the Journées du Patrimoine.
Once inhabited by monks and peasants, the abbey of Hyverneau has now become the Hotel Abbey of the Golf of Lésigny. One can still admire some vestiges of origin, like some external walls and the decapitated statue of a biblical king classified to the Historic Monuments.
The church of Saint-Yon reveals a style mainly Renaissance, despite the presence of crossed ogives. One can still appreciate door leafs of the 16th century, a large altarpiece of rocaille style of the eighteenth century, or even a sacristy of the seventeenth century. The present building dates from the beginning of the 16th century, built according to the will of Louis de Poncher, treasurer of King Francis I. The whole was partially renovated in the late 1990s.
Ancient property of the abbey of Saint-Maur, the castle of Grande Romaine already existed in the thirteenth century. Partially destroyed at the end of the 18th century, the building is found at that time with a round courtyard and an octagonal tower instead of the wings. A hospital for horses during the First World War, the castle was later transformed into a country club and then into a hotel-restaurant. Today, the site is known for hosting sports teams at major events, like the Brazilian team at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
The wooded arc is a green space appreciated by the inhabitants. It extends from the state forest of Notre-Dame to that of the Grange. There are several hiking trails, as well as an important cultural and architectural heritage. The forest of Notre-Dame also offers to appreciate the local fauna and flora, while the green castle of Entre-deux-Parcs unveils several sports facilities.
Located behind the church, the wash house was renovated in the first half of the nineteenth century, then in the 1970s.
The markets of Lésigny are held on Tuesdays and Saturdays morning. The city also organizes a very busy Christmas market in December.
Every year at the weekend of the Ascension, the city is celebrated with a fair, sporting events or even shows.
