When I hear the name Parc Monceau, the smell of a hot, sweet, fresh waffle immediately fills my nose, and the sound of a mechanical organ, characteristic of old carousels, fills my ears. I close my eyes and see mysterious paths strewn with fallen leaves and a small surprise in the form of a pyramid or a small temple, which suddenly appears during the walk. Yes, this garden may not be as famous as Tuileries Gardens או Luxembourg Gardens, but this is my favorite park inParis.
It's true that my subjective choice of choosing Parc Monceau as the most charming park in Paris is laced with a fair amount of nostalgia, thanks to the immense pleasure I experienced the first time I rode the carousel there at the age of 3. However, even if you've never sat on a bench there and eaten a hot waffle on a fall day or ridden a roller coaster there, carrousel, I promise you will fall in love with it too.
Today we will embark on a journey full of love inside a magical park that is different from most.Parks of ParisDuring the journey we will discover its fascinating history and the little secrets hidden in it (and of course I will not forget to provide you with all the “practical” information about it, so that you can visit it on your next trip). But before we begin the journey, let's listen to the charming song by Yves Duteil, which will put us in the right mood:
https://youtu.be/ubnGOzud6NA
Did you like the song? Then you are ready for the journey. So please get in the time machine and let's set off!
Secrets of Le Marais: A Journey into the Historic and Chic Heart of Paris
Join us on a virtual journey to the most fascinating district in Paris. Together we will discover hidden courtyards, French nobility, and the true stories behind the magnificent facades.
The history of Parc Monceau
The Enchanted Garden of the Duke of Chartres
Welcome to the 18th Maha. In those days the8th District And17th District of Paris did not yet exist, and in place of the Haussmannian boulevards and buildings (and of course the park we are talking about) stood a forest, which served as a hunting ground for one of the king's wealthy tax collectors, namely Laurent Grimaud de la Rainière (not to be confused with his son, the famous connoisseur and one of the heroes of France's culinary history).
The same Grimaud decided to sell the forest to the Duke of Chartres (the future “Philippe Aglietta” Duke of Orléans) in 1778. The Duke, who was very fond of the English garden style, ordered the forest to be transformed into an enchanted garden and called it La Folie de Chartre (after himself, of course). For this purpose, the services of the painter and garden designer Carmontelle (Louis Carrogis Carmontelle 1717-1806) were hired, who finished his work about a year later and gave the Duke the keys to the garden.
One of the poets of the period described the place as an enchanted garden with caves, shady arbors, and “brave roses growing through the ice” (or in more prosaic terms: greenhouses).
Indeed, the Duke's garden was a magical place and different from other gardens of the period, most of which were created in the French style. The secret of its magic came from the fact that he scattered all kinds of surprises within the garden, such as small artificial lakes, a pagoda-shaped structure, a pyramid, flour mills, and even fake ruins.
The best example of these “ruins” is undoubtedly the row of columns, which stand within the park and make the viewer think that a Greek temple stood here for thousands of years. In fact, these columns were probably part of a memorial built by the queen. Catherine de Medici In memory of her husband Henry II, not far fromBasilica of Saint-Denis.
In 1787, King Louis XVI's finance minister decided to build a customs wall that would surround Paris and prevent anyone from bringing goods into the city without paying taxes. Since the Duke's park was right on the border between Paris and the outskirts, the wall was supposed to pass through here and cut the park in two.
The Duke did not agree to this under any circumstances and finally a compromise was reached. The section of the wall that was supposed to pass through the garden became a kind of moat, so that goods carts could not pass here and so the view was not damaged. At the same time, a charming pavilion was built by the architect Claude Nicolas Ledoux (1736-1806), on the first floor of which was the customs office, while on the upper floor was a small apartment of the Duke, where he used to bring his mistresses after a romantic walk in the park or hunting in the forest.
Let it open for me! Let it open!
French Revolution, of which the owner of Parc Monceau was one of its leaders (and victims), did not do the magical garden any good. The vegetation was neglected and some of the buildings were damaged, but at that time one of the historic events in the history of human aviation took place in the garden.
In 1797, André-Jacques Garnerin (1769-1823), one of the pioneers of French aviation, decided to try out the silk parachute he had invented and jump from a height of about a thousand meters above Parc Monceau.
To do this, he created a kind of “boat” that he attached to a hot air balloon. When Granner reached the desired height, he cut the ropes that connected the “boat” to the hot air balloon and the boat began to fall to the ground. Fortunately, the parachute opened properly and although the landing was not easy, Granner emerged from the story unharmed.
And before we continue our walk in Parc Monceau, we can't talk about skydiving without listening to this immortal song (I wonder if it has a parallel). French):
The Jews are coming!
After the French Revolution and the rule of Napoleon Bonaparte The Bourbons returned to rule France. In 1830, following the July Revolution, Louis-Philippe, son of the Duke of Orléans, came to power, and he did everything he could to restore the crown and make Parc Monceau what it was during his father's time.
However, during the reign of Napoleon III (3-1852), the park underwent significant changes and lost quite a bit of its area. The reason for this was the boom in urban development and expansion of Paris, which characterized his reign. As mentioned, Parc Monceau stood right on the border of Paris and the need to expand the city limits meant that parts of the park were turned into prestigious residential neighborhoods in the 1870th and 8th arrondissements.
Those responsible for the real estate development of the area were the Pereire brothers: Emile (1800-1875) and Isaac (1806-1880). They were two Jews of Portuguese origin, one of whose ancestors worked as a translator for Louis XV (in the days when, under Prohibition, Jews were forbidden to live in France at all). Both made a huge fortune from smart investments in the railway companies that were beginning to emerge in France, and some of the money was invested in real estate.
Hence, quite a few of the beautiful mansions in the 8th and 17th arrondissements were built thanks to the Ferrer brothers, but this caused Parc Monceau to lose most of its area. In 1860, the city of Paris decided to buy what was left of the park in order to preserve it and entrusted the famous garden architect Adolphe Alphand (1817-1891) with the task of preserving it. The result is an English park, in the spirit of the Duke of Orléans' vision, to which two paths were added (east-west and north-south).
While Alpen was concerned with the vegetation and paths, at the same time the famous sculptor Gabriel Davioud (1824-1881) was concerned with the preservation of the buildings in the park. One of the only buildings that Davioud replaced rather than preserved was the Chinese Bridge of Carmontal, which had been destroyed over the years. In its place, Davioud created a kind of miniature of the Rialto Bridge in Venice, which to this day constitutes one of the magical corners of the garden.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, statues of some of the most famous writers and musicians of the XNUMXth century began to be added to the park. France At that time, including Alfred de Musset (1810-1857), Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) and Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893), whose statue can be found in the image below.
These changes were, as far as I know, the last in the park's history and since then it has remained, more or less, as it was. There is something reassuring about knowing that no matter when you arrive, the carousel, the waffle vendor and the other magical surprises that the park offers its visitors will always be waiting for you. It is no wonder that this park is so beloved by children and adults who have visited it since their childhood.
We began in childhood, we will end in childhood. Moran's poem, Pas gaie la pagaille, best illustrates the magic that Parc Monceau exerts on the children who visit it:
And so says Dr. Orna Lieberman:
There is nothing like Moran's poetry to show how Parc Monceau further stimulates the imagination of children, which is already developed anyway. And so the park is filled in the blink of an eye with camels and crocodiles, with battles between Indians and knights. This is the poem that is appropriate to choose to end the article, as if to close a circle. Long live the joy with which he celebrates childhood and links it to Parc Monceau!
Monceau Park – Tourist Information
I hope that the article made you want to visit this magical garden, so all that's left is to answer a few practical questions for planning your next trip to Paris.
How do you get to Parc Monceau?
The most convenient way to get to Parc Monceau is by bus.MetroTake line 2 and get off at the Monceau station, which is right outside the main entrance to the park.
What are the opening hours?
The garden is open every day between 07:00 in the morning and 22:00 at night.
What else can you see in the immediate area?
If you've finished walking around Parc Monceau, I recommend you take a tour of the adjacent 17th arrondissement. I created this itinerary especially for this purpose. The secrets of the courtesan neighborhoodBeyond that, I would highly recommend visiting...Museum of Miracles of Camondo, which literally borders the garden andArc de Triomphe, which is about a ten-minute walk from it.
Is it worth living around Parc Monceau?
The answer to that is definitely yes. True, this is not a very central area of Paris and as such it is a bit far from a large part ofParis attractionsOn the other hand, precisely because of this, the prices of hotels and apartments there are slightly cheaper than those of more central districts. It is also a very prestigious and safe area and there are two streets nearby with quite a few great food shops (Rue de Lévis and Rue Poncelet), so if you decide to rent an apartment in the area, you are in for a culinary feast.
Since Parc Monceau is located on the border between the 8th and 17th arrondissements, if you live in one of these districts you will be close to it. If you are looking for recommendations, you can find them in the following articles:
Featured hotels near Parc Monceau
Recommended vacation apartments near Parc Monceau
- Recommended vacation apartments in the 8th arrondissement
- Recommended vacation apartments in the 17th arrondissement
Parc Monceau is indeed a magical place and is highly recommended to visit. The park also has an avenue named after Michel Berger. It is no wonder that this park is associated with top artists and singers.
The article opens with Yves Detey's stirring nostalgic song and ends with Moran's cheerful singing, which also celebrates childhood but in a different rhythm and atmosphere. "The mess is not happy," says the title of the song, with an amusing play on words and a prominent oxymoron. The mess of childhood is also happy in its creative games and in the world of its rich imagination. This is one of the hits of the brilliant singer Moran, who passed away suddenly at the age of 57 two years ago. How I loved Moran's songs, her sense of humor, her deep and velvety voice. May her soul be bundled in the bundle of life!!!
In the context of Park Monceau, I recommend reading the latest book by the Camondo family, which describes the history of the neighborhood and, of course, the story of a glorious Jewish dynasty that became extinct.
An excellent book that I have read several times.
Thank you very much for a wonderful and wonderful article about my favorite Monceau Park too.
Thank you very much for the support 🙂
Hello Zvi, great and interesting article, keep it up, well done, see you in the next article
Thank you very much 🙂
We were there, we also think it's the most charming garden in Paris. Without being experts like you.
We will return to it, after the pandemic.
jubilee
Great idea. It's definitely at the top of my list of places I want to return to after the pandemic.
I really enjoyed your explanations about the neighborhood where I lived and worked at the Jewish Agency (17 Fortuni 75017, a small palace in itself. If you want, I can tell you about its history).
My son was also 3 years old when we got there and we also went there all the time.
Hello Olga,
I would really love to hear about the palace you worked in.
Best regards,
deer
Thank you
It is also my favorite and Parisians consider it: Le parc le plus élégant de Paris
I worked at the Jewish Community Center at the time, two blocks away.
What a location! Being able to visit Parc Monceau at the beginning or end of every work day is nothing short of a dream.
Benjamin Ze'ev Herzl, while living in Paris as a correspondent for the Viennese newspaper Neue Freie Presse, lived with his family (his wife, children, and parents) near Parc Monceau, at 8 Rue Monceau.
Thank you very much for the information. I didn't know that.
Sounds like a really fun place to be. Hope we get back to normal soon and can visit this beautiful park.
Please add that since the area was on the edge of Paris and large areas still remained on Rue Monceau, wealthy Jews built their palaces there, including the Camondo family, Rothschild, and another wealthy Jewish family that became rich from grain trading in Odessa. I forgot its name. In short, an area of Jewish palaces.
Teacher, thank you.
Glad you liked the article 🙂
Is there a place to have a picnic there?
Sure 🙂