This uninhabited model town, built in the 17th century for Cardinal Richelieu, was designed to sit alongside his extravagant Château de Richelieu Park, though only the château's pavilion remains today. Cardinal Richelieu was Louis XIII's chief minister and was trying to rebuild his family seat. The town of Richelieu was planned with precise geometry in a grid arrangement. The town fell into decline after the Cardinal's death, though it continued to receive visits from nobility for many years.
