The provostry

Under the reign of Philippe Auguste (from 1180 to 1223), during the administrative reorganisation of the Kingdom, Montlhéry became the seat of a provostry. This was an administrative unit responsible for managing the Kingdom’s assets, particularly taxes. The jurisdiction of the provostry of Montlhéry encompassed around one hundred parishes and one hundred and thirty fiefs, covering an area stretching from Athis-Mons to Lardy, from La Ferté-Alais to Limours, and from Arpajon to Angervilliers, i.e. half the size of the Essonne département.

The building you can admire was built in the 13th century and houses the provost’s office. It is located halfway between the Porte Baudry and the parish church, behind the provost’s building. In the Middle Ages, this building housed the administrative services of the provost, the king’s agent responsible for administering and collecting taxes. It was also used to dispense justice until the French Revolution. The auditorium was then decorated with the coat of arms of France. Above the provost’s seat, the motto of Montlhéry can still be read: “Qu’il te souvienne qu’il a Dieu pour témoin” (“May you remember that God is your witness”). Unfortunately, this room no longer exists. At the time, offenders could be imprisoned in gaols while awaiting trial. In 1659, François de Dinan, the provost-marshal, had the gaols and the auditorium restored.

At one time a town hall, a school and a tax collection office, it is now the Maison du Patrimoine, a cultural centre for the conservation, promotion and dissemination of Montlhérien’s heritage, and a tourist information point. The building has been listed as a Historic Monument since 5 February 1937.