Grogneul, hamlet of Saint-Piat

The hamlet of Grogneul is a legal entity in it's own right it is managed by a commission of around 8 people who are elected every 6 years

Origin of Grogneul

The origin dates back to around 1268 but it's name is difficult to determine, some offerings are....

• A hamlet called Groynellium was posted on a 1334 paper in the parish of St. Piat
• A Title back in 1598 cites the Lordship of Grougeaux - it is assumed it is a place where we Growl, a possible indication of the noise the local pigs made.
• A reference to the moaning of Madame de Maintenon when Louis XIV gifted her the castle.

Ancient Castle

A Castle was built by the Lords of Ligne in the 12th century, Louis XIV purchased the castle in1687 to compensate Madame de Maintenon for losses incurred due to the aquaduct works, they say Madame de Maintenon went away grumbling to Grogneul. The Aquaducts were built to attempt to supply Versailles with water for the wonderful fountains and as we know this was a failure.

Grogneul Fires

There were a number of major fires in Grogneul mainly due to the common use of thatched roofs, the fodder stored in the lofts and the grindstones used in the hamlet.

The worst of these fires destroyed almost half of the hamlet this happened on the 30th June 1851, remarkably no-one lost their lives.

In 1750 the castle also caught fire shortly after the death of Madame de Maintenon.

Madame de Maintenon

The last companion of the Sun King died April 9, 1719 in Saint-Cyr.