At the western end of Boulogne Forest A cute little neoclassical building stands before him, almost shy and hidden from view. This structure, which seems small for its great importance, is actually the chateau built in the shortest time in history and is the result of a childish intervention between the Queen of France Marie-Antoinette and her eccentric brother-in-law, the Comte d'Artois.
The story of Château de Bagatelle
In 1775, Louis XVI's brother, the Count of Artois, bought the land in the Bois de Boulogne, on which stood a hunting lodge, and immediately demolished it. The Count planned to build a small structure for himself on the site to rest while in the park. These structures were called les hommes de plaisances (pleasure houses) and were usually located in the gardens of palaces.
The Count wanted to build the house quickly and to that end he hired the services of the architect François-Joseph Bélanger. His sister-in-law, the queen with whom he used to spend time and fool around, taunted him, claiming that it would take him a long time to build his long-awaited manor de plaisance.
The Count did not remain unfulfilled and promised Her Majesty that within 3 months the building would stand in all its glory. The gambling-loving Queen turned the argument into an intervention and the race against time to complete the construction began, with each side convinced of its imminent victory.
The queen, who was known for her profligacy, did not imagine that her cunning brother-in-law was a greater spendthrift than she was, and with a budget of 3 million pounds, the project began, to which the count devoted all his energy and time. In order to save precious time, the architect Belenje was sent to England to bring plans for Neo-Palladian buildings (a style named after the Italian architect Antonio Palladio), and upon his return he sketched a plan that received immediate approval.
900 workers were recruited to work day and night on the structure, even at the cost of halting activity at construction sites throughout the city. The count, who increased the amount of the intervention, managed to finish his small chateau in just 64 days (!). Thus, construction, which began in September 1777, was completed in November of that year, including the planning and decoration of the interior, which was designed by the architect's brother-in-law, Jean-Démosthène Dugourc.
The building was named Château de Bagatelle. The name Bagatelle comes from the Italian word bagatelle, meaning insignificant decoration, to portray the building as insignificant, the result of whimsy and frivolity. If you ask yourself why the king's brother would build such an insignificant building, the answer is that the building is part of the decadent and childish culture that characterized the young Marie-Antoinette and her carefree surroundings, who were constantly seeking excitement and amusement.
Perhaps the queen and the count did not take the building seriously, but despite this, its importance should not be underestimated, as the chateau is an example and model of pleasure buildings and has very important architectural and stylistic qualities - Chateau de Bagatelle is an example and model of neoclassical architecture.
This little one will be big.
Château de Bagatelle is located within a 59-hectare park of the same name, which includes several manicured French gardens, a rose garden, an orangery, English gardens (designed by a Scottish garden designer), a pagoda, decorative nomadic huts, caves, and several subsidiary buildings connected to the chateau by tunnels (some of the buildings were added in the 19th century).
On the upper tier on the front of the building is written the phrase “Small but Suitable” (Parva sed Apta), copied from an inscription in Ariosto’s Villa in Ferrara, Italy, and of course referring to the modest size of the house.
The facade of the building, which has a somewhat formal appearance, hides the dome of the rear facade, which has a rounded center and behind it is the oval music salon, which rises two stories high. This is the grandest and largest room in the chateau, where parties and balls were held - the first of which took place at the inauguration of the place in 1777 in the presence of the queen and king.
During this party, a table game was first introduced, which would later become the pinball machine in which the player had to put the ball into a hole, while avoiding obstacles in the form of wooden sticks (pins). The Count of Artois hosted many parties there and the small chateau was for him and his guests a refuge from the royal court. Perhaps this is proof that the chateau, which began as a whim, was loved by its owner and served the purpose for which it was built.
In addition to the music room, the building also included drawing rooms, a billiard room, and boudoirs, which were decorated with four paintings by the great landscape painter Hubert Robert. On the same floor you will also find a dining room, while on the second floor you will find bedrooms. These rooms are decorated with painted or carved wall panels, expensive fabrics, and the best furniture and decorative arts of the period.
The revolution has come – the celebration is over
The Château de Bagatelle in many ways symbolizes the detachment, extravagance, and hedonism of the ruling class, which ultimately led to the Revolution. When it broke out, the place, its contents sold off, became a popular restaurant and entertainment venue. To some extent, this is what helped the place survive a period when many royal and aristocratic buildings were damaged or destroyed.
After the Revolution, the next occupant of the château was the son of Emperor Napoleon I, who held the title of King of the Romans. Not long after, with the fall of Napoleon, the château returned to the Bourbons and the Count of Artois returned to it, this time as king. France Charles X.
However, from a mischievous young man, the king became a strict religious man, for whom the erotic paintings that adorned the chateau no longer suited his lifestyle, so he decided to cover them up. The king gave the chateau to his son, the Duke of Berry. However, after the deposition of Charles X in 10, and the transfer of the monarchy to the Orléans dynasty, the chateau was sold by the Duke of Chambord to the art collector Lord Hartford.
As a result, the chateau, which had lost its contents during the revolution, was once again able to house the finest paintings, furniture and decorative arts that the lord had collected over the years. But he was not satisfied with this and began five years of renovations, during which a floor was added to the building. The gardens also received his dedicated care, and the lord added various buildings to them, such as the pagoda and the orangery.
Lord Hertford hosted Emperor Napoleon III and even Queen Victoria, who stayed there during her visit to Paris for the 1855 World's Fair. Lord Hertford bequeathed the building to his son Sir Richard Wallace, who would eventually transfer the collection to his estate in central London, which would later house one of the most important collections of art. French in England, now known as The Wallace Collection.
Sir Wallace (after whom are named Wallace Fountains (Parisianism) bequeathed the chateau after his death to his relative Sir John Murray Scott, who in 1905 gave the building toParis Municipality, not before emptying its contents and even dismantling some of the facade decorations.
From neglect to neglect, the chateau is being restored
Throughout the 20th century, the place hosted important events, including:
- Garden party for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the Mother) in 1938.
- President Charles de Gaulle's May Day speech, which he regularly delivered there.
- A ceremonial reception in honor of President Valery Giscard d'Estaing in 1974.
- Visit of Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip in 1992.
However, over the years, the building suffered from neglect and in the 20s the place suffered from vandalism, as a result of which two marble tiles were stolen, which caused a public outcry and the establishment of the Friends of Gattel Association. This association began to help preserve and secure the place and exists to this day.
The place was renovated and what was stolen was returned, but nearly forty years later, in 2017, the building was again in need of a major renovation. Mayor Paris, Ann Hidalgo, who owned the city hall under her, abdicated responsibility, claiming there were more pressing things to do with the money.
Once again, a public outcry arose, and in 2018 it was decided to thoroughly renovate the place, partly with the help of donations and with the support of the Fondation Mansart, an organization that helps renovate, preserve, and furnish historic buildings through donations.
In recent years, the place has undergone a thorough renovation, but the Foundation is not satisfied with that. It has decided to transform the place into an important museum of 18th-century art, housing collections of paintings, furniture, and French decorative arts from that period.
Perhaps after its reopening and after going through so many ups and downs, Château de Bagatelle will gain the status it deserves.
The place is currently closed to tours and is scheduled to open in 2022. The gardens are open to the general public throughout the day.
Thank you very much for the interesting article! I wanted to go to Bagatelle Park this summer, but the heat changed our plans….
I really hope for the next visit.