History and origins
of Les Fontaines

The Rothschild family

The Baron died in 1881, before the work was completed, a year later. The Baroness now on her own, continued to have work done on the château and had the Normandy Farm,added, originally for her son, who she intended to have study agronomy. The Baroness was deeply involved in local life, establishing schools, libraries and hospitals in Gouvieux and Berck-sur-Mer. During the First World War, she herself became involved in caring for the wounded. She died in 1931. Today, a street in Gouvieux still bears her name. She bequeathed Les Fontaines to her son Henri, a doctor and playwright, who preferred to settle in Paris and only visited the estate occasionally.

In 1911, his sister Jeanne built the Château de Montvillargenne, 2 km from Les Fontaines, in the same style as the Château des Fontaines. Jeanne lived on the estate until her death in 1929, helping to make it a place for the arts and where knowledge could be shared and exchanged

On the death of Henri de Rothschild in 1946, the site was sold to the Jesuits, who created a cultural center with a vast library. In 1998, the Society of Jesus, no longer able to finance the upkeep of the estate, sold it to the Capgemini Group. The library’s 500,000 documents, including some very rare items, such as a section of the first copy of the Gutenberg Bible, were transferred to the Lyon library.

Le Château

Multiple architectural influences

In 1999, the roof, monumental staircase and wainscoting on the 1st floor were listed as Historic Monuments.

Château des Fontaines combines different architectural styles while respecting the regional influence of the Rothschild family, who wished to express the pan-European character of its dynasty:

the main façade is in the style of the Henri IV period, like the Place des Vosges in Paris,
the cylindrical turrets are neo-Gothic,
the central pavilion is inspired by the Dutch and English Northern Renaissance,
and, above all, the Eiffel-type steel frame, which was a symbol of modernity and innovation at the time.

The Second World War

The German occupation

During the Second World War, the Rothschilds went into exile in Lausanne, Switzerland. The Domaine des Fontaines was occupied by the Germans, who used it as an observation base for the Luftwaffe. They built a bunker behind the logistics quay in the park, hidden under thick vegetation. This bunker exists to this day and is a rarity in Europe, in that it is not a defense bunker but an observation and administration bunker, with no apparent openings.

The German General Staff, responsible for the aerial defense of French territory and southern Belgium, used this site to monitor the skies, assess and identify incursion threats, and determine the most suitable response using high-tech ,equipment. The château and its outbuildings were converted into offices, while officers were housed in Chantilly and Gouvieux. At the height of the war, up to 1,000people were working 3×8 shifts on the site.

The bunker is now condemned as dangerous: the interior is damp and dilapidated. Little trace remains of its original layout and organization, as the Germans destroyed the interior before leaving.

The Jesuits

A cultural and spiritual center

In 1946, Henri de Rothschild sold the site to the Jesuits. They created a scholasticate – an institution housing a large community of religious students undergoing spiritual or intellectual instruction. Before the scholasticate was built, the Sisters of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem occupied a wing of the château to prevent the premises from being requisitioned. The scholasticate operated for almost 20 years, during which time the château was surrounded by imposing buildings : to the left (looking at it with your back to the Forum) was the accommodation and, to the right, the library. Opposite the lodgings was the chapel, whose organ is now in the church of Saint Geneviève in Gouvieux.

In 1970, with the decline in vocations, the scholasticate was transferred to Paris and the Jesuits converted the site into a Cultural and Spiritual Center. The site welcomed many young people during vacation periods and opened up to the public . Locals came in droves to stroll around, or even fish in the pond.

In 1998, unable to maintain the estate, the Society of Jesus put it up for sale. The 500,000-plus precious works contained in the library, which was the second-largest private library in Europe after that of the Vatican, were transferred to the Lyon library. Among the treasures was a 10-leaf section of one of the Bibles printed by Gutenberg between 1452 and 1454. The Capgemini Group bought the estate after meeting strict heritage preservation specifications. In 2003, the Group set up its Campus here.

Capgemini

Why les Fontaines ?

A new campus

In the mid-90s, Capgemini was expanding internationally and so was looking for a new location for its campus, previously located in Béhoust in the department of Yvelines. The aim was to be closer to Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport, to facilitate access for international employees.
In 1998, the Group purchased the Domaine des Fontaines from the Jesuits.

Preserving our heritage

From the outset, the Group's aim was to restore the château to its former glory, preserve the site's historical heritage (the château, the farmhouse, the turrets) and the park's biodiversity.
During construction work, different spaces were created for work and relaxation, while preserving the unity of the site and maintaining permanent contact with nature. The Group's aim was to perpetuate the work of the Society of Jesus by encouraging exchange and sharing.

Pioneering sustainability

The Capgemini Group is strongly committed to sustainable development, and this was reflected in the work we carried out:

the use of specific energy-efficient materials, well before the advent of the High Environmental Quality standard (HQE in French),
a 300-space underground parking lot,
delivery bays for trucks under the château,
during the works, a washing station for trucks to use before leaving the site,
a study and ongoing monitoring of flora and fauna, in the interest of species preservation.

From the outset, therefore, the Campus has been strongly committed to sustainable development, particularly with regard to the environment and the protection of biodiversity.

A place for innovation

The Campus opened its doors at the beginning of 2003, after three years of intensive work, following two years of studies and the selection of architects.
The Campus hosts Capgemini Group training courses, its University and meetings, as well as French and international corporate events.