The Château de Malmaison () is a French
château
A château (; plural: châteaux) is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor, or a fine country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally, and still most frequently, in French-speaking regions.
Now ...
situated near the left bank of the
Seine
)
, mouth_location = Le Havre/Honfleur
, mouth_coordinates =
, mouth_elevation =
, progression =
, river_system = Seine basin
, basin_size =
, tributaries_left = Yonne, Loing, Eure, Risle
, tributarie ...
, about west of the centre of
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, in the commune of
Rueil-Malmaison
Rueil-Malmaison () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, in the Hauts-de-Seine department, Île-de-France region. It is located from the centre of Paris. In 2017, it had a population of 78,152. It is one of the wealthiest suburbs of P ...
.
Formerly the residence of Empress
Joséphine de Beauharnais
Josephine may refer to:
People
* Josephine (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name)
* Josephine (singer), a Greek pop singer
Places
*Josephine, Texas, United States
*Mount Josephine (disambiguation)
* Josephine Cou ...
, along with the
Tuileries
The Tuileries Palace (french: Palais des Tuileries, ) was a royal and imperial palace in Paris which stood on the right bank of the River Seine, directly in front of the Louvre. It was the usual Parisian residence of most French monarchs, from ...
it was the headquarters of the French government from 1800 to 1802, and
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
's last residence in France at the end of the
Hundred Days
The Hundred Days (french: les Cent-Jours ), also known as the War of the Seventh Coalition, marked the period between Napoleon's return from eleven months of exile on the island of Elba to Paris on20 March 1815 and the second restoration ...
in 1815.
History
Joséphine de Beauharnais
Josephine may refer to:
People
* Josephine (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name)
* Josephine (singer), a Greek pop singer
Places
*Josephine, Texas, United States
*Mount Josephine (disambiguation)
* Josephine Cou ...
bought the manor house in April 1799 for herself and her husband, General Napoléon Bonaparte, the future
Napoléon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
, at that time away fighting the
Egyptian Campaign
The French campaign in Egypt and Syria (1798–1801) was Napoleon Bonaparte's campaign in the Ottoman territories of Egypt and Syria, proclaimed to defend French trade interests, to establish scientific enterprise in the region. It was the pr ...
. Malmaison was a run-down estate, seven miles (12 km) west of central Paris that encompassed nearly of woods and meadows.
Upon his return, Bonaparte expressed fury at Joséphine for purchasing such an expensive house with the money she had expected him to bring back from the Egyptian campaign. The house, for which she had paid well over 300,000 francs, needed extensive renovations; she spent a fortune doing them. However, Malmaison would bring great happiness to the Bonapartes. Joséphine's daughter,
Hortense de Beauharnais
Hortense Eugénie Cécile Bonaparte (; , ; 10 April 1783 – 5 October 1837) was Queen consort of Holland. She was the stepdaughter of Emperor Napoléon I as the daughter of his first wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais. Hortense later married Napol ...
would call it "a delicious spot".
Joséphine endeavored to transform the large estate into "the most beautiful and curious garden in Europe, a model of good cultivation". She located rare and exotic plants and animals to enhance the gardens. Joséphine wrote: "I wish that Malmaison may soon become the source of riches for all
f France” In 1800, she built a heated
orangery
An orangery or orangerie was a room or a dedicated building on the grounds of fashionable residences of Northern Europe from the 17th to the 19th centuries where orange and other fruit trees were protected during the winter, as a very lar ...
large enough for 300
pineapple
The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuri ...
plants. Five years later, she ordered the building of a
greenhouse
A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse, or, if with sufficient heating, a hothouse) is a structure with walls and roof made chiefly of Transparent ceramics, transparent material, such as glass, in which plants requiring regulated climatic condit ...
, heated by a dozen coal-burning stoves. From 1803 until her death in 1814, Josephine cultivated nearly 200 new plants in France for the first time.
The property achieved enduring fame for its
rose garden
A rose garden or rosarium is a garden or park, often open to the public, used to present and grow various types of garden roses, and sometimes rose species. Most often it is a section of a larger garden. Designs vary tremendously and roses m ...
. Empress Joséphine had the Belgian artist
Pierre-Joseph Redouté
Pierre-Joseph Redouté (, 10 July 1759 – 19 June 1840), was a painter and botanist from Belgium, known for his watercolours of roses, lilies and other flowers at the Château de Malmaison, many of which were published as large, coloured ...
(1759–1840) record her
rose
A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...
s (and
lilies
''Lilium'' () is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. They are the true lilies. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in much of the world. M ...
), and prints of these works sell quite well, even today. She created an extensive collection of roses, gathering plants from her native
Martinique
Martinique ( , ; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago: or ) is an island and an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of the French Republic, Martinique is located in ...
and from other places around the world. She grew some 250 varieties of roses. From the foreword to ''Jardin de la Malmaison'' (1803):
Birds and animals of all sorts began to enrich her garden, where they were allowed to roam free among the grounds. At the height of her days at Malmaison, Joséphine had the company of
kangaroos
Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern gre ...
,
emu
The emu () (''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is the second-tallest living bird after its ratite relative the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus '' Dromaius''. The emu ...
s,
black swans Black swan is the common name for ''Cygnus atratus'', an Australasian waterfowl.
(The) Black Swan(s) may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Black Swan'' (film), a 1942 swashbuckler film
* ''Black Swans'' (film), a 2005 Dutch drama film
* ...
,
zebras
Zebras (, ) (subgenus ''Hippotigris'') are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. There are three living species: the Grévy's zebra (''Equus grevyi''), plains zebra (''E. quagga''), and the mountain zebra (''E. zebr ...
, sheep,
gazelles
A gazelle is one of many antelope species in the genus ''Gazella'' . This article also deals with the seven species included in two further genera, ''Eudorcas'' and ''Nanger'', which were formerly considered subgenera of ''Gazella''. A third ...
,
ostriches
Ostriches are large flightless birds of the genus ''Struthio'' in the order Struthioniformes, part of the infra-class Palaeognathae, a diverse group of flightless birds also known as ratites that includes the emus, rheas, and kiwis. There a ...
,
chamois, a
seal
Seal may refer to any of the following:
Common uses
* Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly:
** Earless seal, or "true seal"
** Fur seal
* Seal (emblem), a device to imp ...
,
antelopes
The term antelope is used to refer to many species of even-toed ruminant that are indigenous to various regions in Africa and Eurasia.
Antelope comprise a wastebasket taxon defined as any of numerous Old World grazing and browsing hoofed mammal ...
and
llama
The llama (; ) (''Lama glama'') is a domesticated South American camelid, widely used as a List of meat animals, meat and pack animal by Inca empire, Andean cultures since the Pre-Columbian era.
Llamas are social animals and live with othe ...
s to name a few. Some were from the
Baudin expedition.
After her divorce from Napoléon, Joséphine received Malmaison in her own right, along with a pension of 5 million francs a year, and remained there until her death in 1814. Napoléon returned and took residence in the house after his defeat at the
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (at that time in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium). A French army under the command of Napoleon was defeated by two of the armie ...
(1815), before his exile to the island of
Saint Helena
Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three constitu ...
. After Josephine's death in 1814, the house was vacant at times, the garden and house ransacked and vandalised, and the garden's remains were destroyed in a battle in 1870.
In 1842, Malmaison was purchased by
Queen mother
A queen mother is a former queen, often a queen dowager, who is the mother of the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since the early 1560s. It arises in hereditary monarchies in Europe and is also used to describe a number of ...
Maria Christina, widow of King
Ferdinand VII of Spain
, house = Bourbon-Anjou
, father = Charles IV of Spain
, mother = Maria Luisa of Parma
, birth_date = 14 October 1784
, birth_place = El Escorial, Spain
, death_date =
, death_place = Madrid, Spain
, burial_plac ...
. She lived there with her second husband
Agustín Fernando Muñoz, Duke of Riánsares
Agustín is a Spanish given name and sometimes a surname. It is related to Augustín. People with the name include:
Given name
* Agustín (footballer), Spanish footballer
* Agustín Calleri (born 1976), Argentine tennis player
* Agustín Cár ...
(made a duke by his step-daughter,
Isabella II of Spain
Isabella II ( es, Isabel II; 10 October 1830 – 9 April 1904), was Queen of Spain from 29 September 1833 until 30 September 1868.
Shortly before her birth, the King Ferdinand VII of Spain issued a Pragmatic Sanction to ensure the successio ...
, in 1844). In 1861, Maria Christina sold the property to
Napoleon III
Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...
, Josephine's grandson through her daughter Hortense.
Malmaison was fully restored by the famous French architect
Pierre Humbert in the early 20th century. It is now considered an important historical monument.
Present times
The public can visit the manor house as a Napoleonic ''musée national''. The museum lies on RN 13 (''route nationale'' 13) from Paris and bus 258 from
RER A
RER A is one of the five lines in the Réseau Express Régional (English: Regional Express Network), a hybrid commuter rail and rapid transit system serving Paris, France and its suburbs. The line crosses the region from east to west, with all t ...
"
Grande Arche
La Grande Arche de la Défense (; "The Great Arch of the Defense"), originally called La Grande Arche de la Fraternité (; "Fraternity"), is a monument and building in the business district of La Défense and in the commune of Puteaux, to the west ...
" station.
Gallery
Exterior
Image:Château de Malmaison à Rueil-Malmaison 001.jpg, View of the southwest facade of the Manor House
Image:Château de Malmaison à Rueil-Malmaison 002.jpg, Main entrance in the Manor House
Image:Pavillon Osiris Rueil Malmaison.jpg, Pavillon Osiris in the Garden of Malmaison
Image:Château de Malmaison à Rueil-Malmaison 003.jpg, View of the main entrance and the main facade (northeast)
Interior
File:Malmaison chambre Joséphine.jpg, Chamber of Napoléon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
File:Château de Malmaison - Salle de billard 001.jpg, Billiard room
File:Château Malmaison salon musique.jpg, Music room
File:Château Malmaison service Joséphine.jpg, Joséphine's service - Sèvres porcelain
Image:Château de Malmaison - Bibliothèque 001.jpg, Library created in 1800 by Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine
Image:Château de Malmaison - Bibliothèque 003.jpg, Furniture in mahogany is the creation of the brothers Jacob-Desmalter
Image:Château de Malmaison - Bibliothèque 002.jpg, The celestial globe of Nicolas Constant Lemaire, dating from 1788
Image:Château de Malmaison - Appartement de Joséphine 003.jpg, Simply decorated anteroom
Image:Château de Malmaison - Appartement de Joséphine 001.jpg, Luxurious chamber of Joséphine de Beauharnais
Josephine may refer to:
People
* Josephine (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name)
* Josephine (singer), a Greek pop singer
Places
*Josephine, Texas, United States
*Mount Josephine (disambiguation)
* Josephine Cou ...
with her original bed.
Image:Château de Malmaison - Appartement de Joséphine 002.jpg, The wall decoration and the furniture were restored by Napoleon III
Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...
in 1865
Image:Château de Malmaison - Appartement de Joséphine 004.jpg, Common Chamber in Joséphine's apartment
Image:Château de Malmaison - Appartement de Joséphine 005.jpg, Bed in Joséphine's common chamber
Image:Château de Malmaison - Appartement de Joséphine 006.jpg, Bathroom in Joséphine's apartment
Image:Château de Malmaison - Salle à manger 002.jpg, Decoration designed by Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine
Image:Château de Malmaison - Salle à manger 001.jpg, Murals paintings by Louis Lafitte
Louis Lafitte (November 15, 1770 in Paris – August 3, 1828 in Paris) was a French painter, designer, illustrator and muralist.
Biography
He was the son of a master barber. In 1778, his father offered refuge to the painter Simon Mathurin La ...
(1800) represent six pompéiennes dancers
Image:Château Malmaison salle à manger.jpg, Dining room
References
External links
Official site"Josephine's garden", Orient Express Magazine, Vol. 19, No. 1, by HRH Princess Michael of Kent
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chateau De Malmaison
Malmaison
Malmaison
Palaces and residences of Napoleon
Malmaison
Malmaison
Biographical museums in France
Museums in Hauts-de-Seine
National museums of France
Napoleon museums
Réunion des Musées Nationaux