Perthes
Perthes is a village in the Seine-et-Marne department, located in the Île-de-France region, about 12 km from Melun and 15 km from Fontainebleau. It has a long history, dating back to the 11th century when it was partly owned by the chapter of Notre-Dame de Melun, with lords overseeing the village’s justice.
In 1359, the village and its main castle, Château de Mémorant, were damaged during a conflict involving Navarre forces. By 1380, Thomas de Pisan, a physician to Charles V, owned the castle. His daughter, Christine de Pisan, a historian, lived there for a decade. Eventually, the castle was passed to Philippe de Mézières, who donated it to the Célestins monks, who transformed it into a farm.
In 1762, a fire destroyed most of Perthes, and the village was rebuilt with support from local lords. By the 19th century, Perthes had a communal school, now used as the town hall, and saw the rebuilding of the Château de Mémorant. The village was also connected to Melun by the Tramway Sud de Seine-et-Marne until 1938, which transported both passengers and goods, especially the locally grown mahonia flowers.