Meudon Castle, also known as the Royal Castle of

Meudon Meudon () is a municipality in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is in the département of Hauts-de-Seine. It is located from the center of Paris. The city is known for many historic monuments and some extraordinary trees. One of t ...

or Imperial Palace of Meudon, is a French castle located in Meudon in the

Hauts-de-Seine Hauts-de-Seine (; ) is a département in the Île-de-France region, Northern France. It covers Paris's western inner suburbs. It is bordered by Paris, Seine-Saint-Denis and Val-de-Marne to the east, Val-d'Oise to the north, Yvelines to the west ...

department. At the edge of a wooded plateau, the castle offers views 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. Si ...

and the

Seine ) , mouth_location = Le Havre/ Honfleur , mouth_coordinates = , mouth_elevation = , progression = , river_system = Seine basin , basin_size = , tributaries_left = Yonne, Loing, Eure, Risle , tributa ...

, as well as of the Chalais valley. Located between

and

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, ...

, in the heart of a hunting reserve, the castle has an ideal

topography Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the land forms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sc ...

for large gardens. It had many successive owners from the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...

until the fall of the

Second French Empire The Second French Empire (; officially the French Empire, ), was the 18-year Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 14 January 1852 to 27 October 1870, between the Second and the Third Republic of France. Historians in the 1930s ...

. It should not be confused with the Bellevue Castle, also located in

. Famous past residents include: Anne de Pisseleu d'Heilly, Duchess of

Étampes Étampes () is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southwest from the center of Paris (as the crow flies). Étampes is a sub-prefecture of the Essonne department. Étampes, together with the neighboring c ...

; the Cardinal of

Lorraine Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of Gra ...

, Abel Servien; François Michel Le Tellier, Marquis of Louvois and

Louis, Grand Dauphin Louis, Dauphin of France (1 November 1661 – 14 April 1711), commonly known as Grand Dauphin, was the eldest son and heir apparent of King Louis XIV and his spouse, Maria Theresa of Spain. He became known as the Grand Dauphin after the birth of ...

, also known as ''Monseigneur'', who linked the Chaville Castle to Meudon Castle. The Château-Vieux (Old Castle) burned down in 1795 and was rebuilt as the Château-Neuf (New Castle), which in turn burned down in 1871. Demolition was considered, but most of the castle was preserved and became an observatory with an astronomical telescope in 1878 and was then attached to the Observatory of Paris in 1927. The castle of

has been classified as a

historical monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, hist ...

since 12 April 1972. in the

Chalais-Meudon Chalais-Meudon is an aeronautical research and development centre in Meudon, to the south-west of Paris. It was originally founded in 1793 in the nearby Château de Meudon and has played an important role in the development of French aviation. ...

park has been classified as an historical monument since 4 June 2000. It was the first storage facility for

aerostat An aerostat (, via French) is a lighter-than-air aircraft that gains its lift through the use of a buoyant gas. Aerostats include unpowered balloons and powered airships. A balloon may be free-flying or tethered. The average density of the c ...

s in the world and is one of the few still standing.

History

"There are few citizen architects or enlightened foreigners who would have wished, as we did, that the expenditures incurred at Versailles had been made at Meudon, as the most beautiful place in the world, both in its layout and in its location. " - , Cours d'Architecture ..., 1773, volume 4, p. 132.

Meudon at the end of the Middle Ages

Lords of Meudon (1200s–1413)

There is little information on the origin of the castle, but it was certainly a small castle with an unknown floor plan. Many records do, however, exist of 12th-century lords named "Meudon" as well as a mention of a "manor of the Meudon vale" in the 14th century. Marie-Thérèse Herlédan published an account of this period in her book ''Meudon, Avant le Roy'' (Meudon Before the King). Many Meudons held positions in court, such as Robert de Meudon, the Grand Panetier of France under King

Philip the Fair Philip IV (April–June 1268 – 29 November 1314), called Philip the Fair (french: Philippe le Bel), was King of France from 1285 to 1314. By virtue of his marriage with Joan I of Navarre, he was also King of Navarre as Philip I from 12 ...

. His title was mentioned in a deed in 1305.

Augustin Isbarre (1413–1425)

On 17 July 1413, Jean de Montrevel, known as the Hermit, lord of

La Faye La Faye is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France. Population See also *Communes of the Charente department The following is a list of the 364 communes of the Charente department of France. The communes cooperate in ...

, chamberlain of the king and husband of Jeanne de Gaillonnel, holder of the castle's fief, sold the castle with his wife's consent to the wealthy Augustin Isbarre, banker and jeweller. In 1422, Isbarre, whose family had performed financial services for the royal family, was appointed

cupbearer A cup-bearer was historically an officer of high rank in royal courts, whose duty was to pour and serve the drinks at the royal table. On account of the constant fear of plots and intrigues (such as poisoning), a person must have been regarded as ...

to the king. He died in Paris on 27 August 1425 and was buried at the .

Renaissance

The Sanguin family and the Duchesse d'Étampes (1426–1552)

The fief of

was bought in 1426 by , valet of Charles VII and treasurer of the

Duke of Burgundy Duke of Burgundy (french: duc de Bourgogne) was a title used by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, from its establishment in 843 to its annexation by France in 1477, and later by Holy Roman Emperors and Kings of Spain from the House of Habsburg ...

. He was previously associated with the former owner, Augustin Isbarre, a provost of the merchants of Paris from 1429 to 1431. It seems that he had built a manor on the site of the old castle. He died in Paris on 14 February 1441. Jean Sanguin, known as the "Bastard of Sanguin", inherited the

seigniory In English law, seignory or seigniory, spelled ''signiory'' in Early Modern English (; french: seigneur, lit=lord; la, senior, lit=elder), is the lordship (authority) remaining to a grantor after the grant of an estate in fee simple. ''Nulle terre ...

of his father; he died in Paris on 13 November 1468. He had several children, including Antoine Sanguin, who inherited the

fief A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form ...

and became lord of Meudon. Antoine later married Marie Simon and died on 18 October 1500. The manor was demolished in 1520 by Antoine Sanguin, known as the Cardinal de Meudon, son of the previous Cardinal de Meudon, who built a square ''

corps de logis In architecture, a ''corps de logis'' () is the principal block of a large, (usually classical), mansion or palace. It contains the principal rooms, state apartments and an entry.Curl, James Stevens (2006). ''Oxford Dictionary of Architecture ...

'' of brick and stone with a loft floor over a ground floor that had ornamented skylights. It was adorned in the Italian style with

pilaster In classical architecture, a pilaster is an architectural element used to give the appearance of a supporting column and to articulate an extent of wall, with only an ornamental function. It consists of a flat surface raised from the main wal ...

s, bands and stone framing. The layout of the castle supposedly influenced that of the Château du Grand Jardin, in

Joinville Joinville () is the largest city in Santa Catarina, in the Southern Region of Brazil. It is the third largest municipality in the southern region of Brazil, after the much larger state capitals of Curitiba and Porto Alegre. Joinville is also a ...

, a property of the de Guise family. Antoine Sanguin gave the castle to his niece Anne of Pisseleu, also called the Duchess of Étampes, on 5 September 1527. She had become the mistress of

François I Francis I (french: François Ier; frm, Francoys; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin once ...

, and almost the ''de facto'' queen of France. To better accommodate his mistress, François financed an addition of two square pavilions on either side of the initial body and two wings that ended with identical pavilions. These extensions mirrored the style of the main building. In the style of the

Château d'Écouen The Château d'Écouen is an historic château in the commune of Écouen, some 20 km north of Paris, France, and a notable example of French Renaissance architecture. Since 1975, it has housed the collections of the Musée national de la Renaissa ...

corbel In architecture, a corbel is a structural piece of stone, wood or metal jutting from a wall to carry a superincumbent weight, a type of bracket. A corbel is a solid piece of material in the wall, whereas a console is a piece applied to the s ...

led corner

turret Turret may refer to: * Turret (architecture), a small tower that projects above the wall of a building * Gun turret, a mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon * Objective turret, an indexable holder of multiple lenses in an optical microscope * M ...

s were also added to the pavilions. The structure was similar to the works undertaken at the château at Marchais, then owned by Nicolas de Longueval, Count of Bossut and Superintendent of Finance under

Francois I Francis I (french: François Ier; frm, Francoys; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin once ...

, governor of Champagne and Brie and a member of the inner circle of the Duchess of Étampes. The same still-unknown architect must also have headed the expansion of Meudon and Marchais, as well as those of the neighbouring castle in Sissonne, which are all in the same style. A triumphal arch was also built into the center of the enclosure wall, serving as a majestic entrance to the courtyard.

Francis I of France Francis I (french: François Ier; frm, Francoys; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin on ...

stayed in Meudon from 11 July to 5 August 1537. He stayed there many times until his death in 1547. File:Chateau de Meudon vers 1520.jpg, Sketch of the village of Meudon showing the location of the castle of Antoine Sanguin around 1520 File:Élévation chateau d'antoine sanguin.jpg, Rendition of the castle of Meudon circa 1520. (future central body) File:Chateau de meudon antoine sanguin restitution Franck Devedjian oct 2016.jpg, Castle of Meudon, built by Antoine Sanguin around 1520. Rendition by Franck Devedjian, October 2016. Layout of the first floor File:Agrandissements anne de pisseleu château de meudon vers 1640.jpg, Additions by Anne of Pisseleu, circa 1540 File:Schéma chateau renaissance meudon franck devedjian - Copie.jpg, View of the old castle in Meudon, from the mouth of the former ''ruelle de Beauvais''. Condition in the middle of the 16th century File:Le chateau de marchais INHA.jpg, The castle of Marchais, built in the sixteenth century, at the same time as Meudon and by the same architect (castle preserved, property of the Grimaldi family of Monaco)

Cardinal of Lorraine and the de Guises (1552–1654)

Upon the death of Francis I, Anne de Pisseleu had to sell the Meudon estate in 1552 to

Charles de Guise Charles of Lorraine, Duke of Mayenne (26 March 1554 – 3 October 1611), or Charles de Guise, was a French nobleman of the house of Guise and a military leader of the Catholic League, which he headed during the French Wars of Religion, follow ...

, Cardinal of Lorraine. This ended the Sanguins' presence at Meudon, which had lasted more than a century. The former

favourite A favourite (British English) or favorite (American English) was the intimate companion of a ruler or other important person. In post-classical and early-modern Europe, among other times and places, the term was used of individuals delegated s ...

withdrew to the Château d'Heilly, where she died in September 1580. The cardinal then renovated the castle, drawing inspiration from the Italian architectural style, which he had discovered during his travels to Rome. A letter written on 28 December 1552, addressed to his sister-in-law

Anna d'Este Anna d'Este (16 November 1531 – 17 May 1607) was an important princess with considerable influence at the court of France and a central figure in the French Wars of Religion. In her first marriage she was Duchess of Aumale, then of Guise, in h ...

, says: "I have been at Meudon while I was in Paris, and I beg to assure you that the house is finished ... there are no more beautiful houses in this kingdom." Gravure détaillée chastillon vers 1600

The cardinal had the wings on the courtyard side of the gallery surmounted by a terrace, based on drawings by

Francesco Primaticcio Francesco Primaticcio (April 30, 1504 – 1570) was an Italian Mannerist painter, architect and sculptor who spent most of his career in France. Biography Born in Bologna, he trained under Giulio Romano in Mantua and became a pupil ...

. The interiors were decorated with scenes from the

Council of Trent The Council of Trent ( la, Concilium Tridentinum), held between 1545 and 1563 in Trent (or Trento), now in northern Italy, was the 19th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. Prompted by the Protestant Reformation, it has been described a ...

, in which the cardinal had actively participated, probably in the style being practised in Italy at that time by

Taddeo Taddeo is a masculine given name which may refer to: * Taddeo Alderotti (between 1206 and 1215-1295), Italian doctor and professor of medicine * Taddeo Altini O.S.A. (1609-1685), Roman Catholic Bishop of Civita Castellana e Orte, and Titular Bishop ...

and

Federigo Zuccaro Federico Zuccaro, also known as Federico Zuccari (c. 1540/1541August 6, 1609), was an Italian Mannerist painter and architect, active both in Italy and abroad. Biography Zuccaro was born at Sant'Angelo in Vado, near Urbino (Marche). His docum ...

. Terraced gardens and an

orangerie 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 ...

were created around small buildings, including a small fantasy palace dedicated to

nymph A nymph ( grc, νύμφη, nýmphē, el, script=Latn, nímfi, label=Modern Greek; , ) in ancient Greek folklore is a minor female nature deity. Different from Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature, are ...

s and

muses In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...

, the famous "Grotto of Meudon," also based on drawings by Primaticcio between 1552 and 1560, and decorations with compositions by the artist. It forms a small palace under a platform of arcades, sheltered from view by a hill that visually separates it from the castle, as shown on a print by

Israel Silvestre Israel Silvestre (13 August 1621 in Nancy – 11 October 1691 in Paris), called the Younger to distinguish him from his father, was a prolific French draftsman, etcher and print dealer who specialized in topographical views and perspectives ...

representing the grotto. The latter is actually made up of three

pavilion In architecture, ''pavilion'' has several meanings: * It may be a subsidiary building that is either positioned separately or as an attachment to a main building. Often it is associated with pleasure. In palaces and traditional mansions of Asia ...

s backing onto the slope, blending Italian and French styles. The central pavilion sheltered the grotto, decorated with mosaics, shells, corals and

maiolica Maiolica is tin-glazed pottery decorated in colours on a white background. Italian maiolica dating from the Renaissance period is the most renowned. When depicting historical and mythical scenes, these works were known as ''istoriato'' wares ...

, and whose prime contractor was Primaticcio himself. On the first floor of the central pavilion, antiques were displayed in a large salon. Historian

Henri Sauval Henri Sauval (5 March 1623 (baptised) – 21 March 1676) was a French historian. Biography Sauval was the son of an advocate in the Parlement, he was born in Paris, and baptized on 5 March 1623. He devoted most of his life to researches among th ...

wrote that the Diana of Versailles had been brought from Italy and placed in the castle of Meudon, but recent research seems to prove otherwise. This grotto enjoyed immediate success and was praised by

Pierre de Ronsard Pierre de Ronsard (; 11 September 1524 – 27 December 1585) was a French poet or, as his own generation in France called him, a " prince of poets". Early life Pierre de Ronsard was born at the Manoir de la Possonnière, in the village of ...

in his "Chant pastoral sur les noces de Charles, duc de Lorraine et Madame Claude, fille du roi" (a pastoral song on the Wedding of Charles, Duke of Lorraine and Madame Claude, daughter of the king). In 1568,

Giorgio Vasari Giorgio Vasari (, also , ; 30 July 1511 – 27 June 1574) was an Italian Renaissance Master, who worked as a painter, architect, engineer, writer, and historian, who is best known for his work '' The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculp ...

was enthusiastic about the grotto, whose repute had reached as far as Italy. At Meudon, for the Cardinal of Lorraine, Primaticcio executed many decorations in his great palace called ''La Grotte'' (the grotto), of so extraordinary an amplitude that it recalls the baths of antiquity, because of the infinite number and the size of its galleries, staircases, public and private apartments. The construction of this cave was spread out over time, starting with the construction of the grotto itself and the two ramps of the staircase (circa 1552–1555), and then, in a second stage, the two pavilions (1559). The lower cryptoportico was then built in a third phase. DowagerduchessofGuise

At the death of the Cardinal of Lorraine in 1574, the castle remained the property of the family of Guise, who held it as one of their fiefs, along with the castle of

Joinville, Haute-Marne Joinville () is a commune in the Haute-Marne department in north-eastern France. Originally spelled ''Jonivilla'' or ''Junivilla'' in Latin, in the Middle Ages it was the site of an important lordship in the county of Champagne. Its medieval ...

. Meudon was plundered during the

Wars of Religion A religious war or a war of religion, sometimes also known as a holy war ( la, sanctum bellum), is a war which is primarily caused or justified by differences in religion. In the modern period, there are frequent debates over the extent to wh ...

. And it was at Meudon that the future Henri IV (Henry of Navarre) learned of the assassination of

Henry III of France Henry III (french: Henri III, né Alexandre Édouard; pl, Henryk Walezy; lt, Henrikas Valua; 19 September 1551 – 2 August 1589) was King of France from 1574 until his assassination in 1589, as well as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Li ...

on 1 August 1589 from

Jacques Clément Jacques Clément (1567 – 1 August 1589) was a French conspirator and the assassin of King Henry III. He was born at Serbonnes, in today's Yonne ''département'', in Burgundy, and became a Dominican lay brother. During the French Wars of Re ...

. Henry of Navarre went the very same day to see the wounded king in nearby

Saint-Cloud Saint-Cloud () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France, from the centre of Paris. Like other communes of Hauts-de-Seine such as Marnes-la-Coquette, Neuilly-sur-Seine and Vaucresson, Saint-Cloud is one of France's wealthiest tow ...

. The king reassured him about his state of health. Henri went back to Meudon. Maximilien de Bethune, Duke of Sully, who accompanied him, lodged at "Sauvat", a house in the village. The next day, the king's condition worsened and he died at Saint-Cloud. Henry of Navarre became King of France, the first Bourbon king. Henri de Guise barely had the time to visit Meudon. He was assassinated in 1588. Meudon became one of the seats of the League. On July 24, 1605, the marriage of Francois de Bourbon, Prince of Conti (1558–1614) and

Louise Marguerite de Lorraine Louise Marguerite of Lorraine (1588 – 30 April 1631) was a daughter of the Duke of Guise and a member of the House of Lorraine. She married François de Bourbon, titled the Prince of Conti. As such, after her marriage she was the Princess ...

took place in the chapel of the chateau. In 1618, the Duke of Lorraine tasked his architect,

Gabriel Soulignac In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብር� ...

, with modifying the castle and extending the gardens. Other work was carried out by Soulignac in 1623, with the construction of a terrace and a staircase near the grotto. In 1639, Jacques Dubreuil boasted of Meudon's stairs and

s: "The garden is moderately large, made of flower beds, borders, open alleyways, surrounded by alleys covered with beautiful trees, with

baluster A baluster is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its c ...

s." In 1641, the painter

Nicolas Poussin Nicolas Poussin (, , ; June 1594 – 19 November 1665) was the leading painter of the classical French Baroque style, although he spent most of his working life in Rome. Most of his works were on religious and mythological subjects painted for ...

visited Meudon, no doubt attracted by the famous decorations of Primaticcio. Above all, 18 May 1643, the union of Gaston d'Orléans, brother of

Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crow ...

with

Marguerite of Lorraine Marguerite of Lorraine (22 July 1615 – 13 April 1672), Duchess of Orléans, was the wife of Gaston, younger brother of Louis XIII of France. As Gaston had married her in secret in defiance of the King, Louis had their marriage nullified when i ...

, was renewed in the chapel of the castle, with the blessing of the Archbishop of Paris. The domain was plundered under the

Fronde The Fronde () was a series of civil wars in France between 1648 and 1653, occurring in the midst of the Franco-Spanish War, which had begun in 1635. King Louis XIV confronted the combined opposition of the princes, the nobility, the law cour ...

, since the Lorraine princes who owned Meudon had taken the side of the rebellion against royal authority. Thus, beginning in 1649, the

Grand Condé Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor * Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist * Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper Places * Grand, Oklahoma * Grand, Vosges, village and commun ...

, at the head of the Royal Army, seized Charenton, Saint-Denis, Saint-Cloud and Meudon. File:The castle at Meudon near Paris. Etching. Wellcome V0049997.jpg, View of the castle of Meudon, around 1600. In reality, the village of Meudon backed up to the enclosing wall File:Grotte de Meudon israel silvestre premier moitié XVIIe.JPG, ''The Cave of Meudon'', by

, first half of the seventeenth century File:La grotte de Meudon.jpg, The grotto of Meudon, by

Claude Chastillon Claude Chastillon or Chatillon (1559 or 1560 – 27 April 1616) was a French architect, military and civil engineer, and topographical draughtsman, who served under Henry IV of France. His most notable work, ''Topographie françoise'', published ...

, about 1600

Grand Siècle Grand Siècle or Great Century refers to the period of French history during the 17th century, under the reigns of Louis XIII and Louis XIV. The period was notable for its development of art and literature, along with the construction of the Pal ...

Abel Servien and the marquis de Sablé (1654–1679)

Meudon, in poor condition, was then bought on 12 September 1654 by Abel Servien, Superintendent of Finances, who took the title of Baron de Meudon. As soon as the purchase was made, Servien had extensive renovation work done by the architect Louis Le Vau. He was at the peak of his career, and felt that Meudon should reflect this power. In Paris, Servien lived at the Hôtel de la Roche-Guyon near the

Palais-Royal The Palais-Royal () is a former royal palace located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France. The screened entrance court faces the Place du Palais-Royal, opposite the Louvre. Originally called the Palais-Cardinal, it was built for Cardinal R ...

at least from 1651 to 1659. The castle was then richly furnished and decorated. The central foredeck was replaced by an octagonal pavilion, surmounted by a high roof shaped like a truncated pyramid. In the center of the pavilion was a large double spiral staircase. A large staircase, adorned with twelve columns of marble

monolith A monolith is a geological feature consisting of a single massive stone or rock, such as some mountains. For instance, Savandurga mountain is a monolith mountain in India. Erosion usually exposes the geological formations, which are often ma ...

s, precedes it. The first floor housed a large

cupola In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, most often dome-like, tall structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome. The word derives, via Italian, f ...

ed salon, opening onto the gardens, similar to the one built at the time by

Nicholas Fouquet Nicolas Fouquet, marquis de Belle-Île, vicomte de Melun et Vaux (27 January 1615 – 23 March 1680) was the Superintendent of Finances in France from 1653 until 1661 under King Louis XIV. He had a glittering career, and acquired enormous wealth ...

at the chateau of

Vaux-le-Vicomte The Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte (English: Palace of Vaux-le-Vicomte) is a Baroque French château located in Maincy, near Melun, southeast of Paris in the Seine-et-Marne department of Île-de-France. Built between 1658 and 1661 for Nicolas ...

. He was the Superintendent of Finance with Servien and under the authority of Servien, who was older than he was. Servien had a large terrace built in the

forecourt Forecourt may refer to: * a courtyard at the front of a building * in racket sports, the front part of the court * the area in a filling station containing the fuel pumps * chamber tomb forecourt This article describes several characteristic arch ...

in order to clear the view of the castle, thereby engulfing nearly a third of the village of Meudon, which he moved elsewhere. On the garden side, he built a monumental orangerie, still preserved today. He enlarged the park, which had existed since at least the Duchesse d'Étampes. Through many land purchases, he managed to put through a "Grande Perspective" south of the castle, featuring basins and ponds, including those of Chalais.

Letters patent Letters patent ( la, litterae patentes) ( always in the plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, tit ...

dated 31 August 1657 bear "permission to extend the park of Meudon, enclose it in walls, even though the acquired inheritances are in the neighborhood of the pleasures of His Majesty," or in other words, of the neighboring

Palace of Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, u ...

. When Queen

Christine of Sweden Christina ( sv, Kristina, 18 December (New Style) 1626 – 19 April 1689), a member of the House of Vasa, was Monarchy of Sweden, Queen of Sweden in Queen regnant, her own right from 1632 until her abdication in 1654. She succeeded her father ...

came to France, she offered Servien a bronze by

Adrian de Vries Adriaen de Vries (c.1556–1626) was a Northern Mannerist sculptor born in the Netherlands but working in Central Europe, whose international style crossed the threshold to the Baroque; he excelled in refined modelling and bronze casting and ...

, ''Mercury Abducting Psyche'', now in the Louvre. Servien had this bronze placed at the end of the flowerbed, just above his new

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 ...

. Servien died on 17 February 1659 at Meudon itself in his apartment on the ground floor after having spent a true fortune on Meudon, which was still under construction. His son, , marquess of Sablé and protector of

Jean de La Fontaine Jean de La Fontaine (, , ; 8 July 162113 April 1695) was a French fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century. He is known above all for his ''Fables'', which provided a model for subsequent fabulists across Euro ...

, kept the estate for twenty years. On 2 August 1665,

Gian Lorenzo Bernini Gian Lorenzo (or Gianlorenzo) Bernini (, , ; Italian Giovanni Lorenzo; 7 December 159828 November 1680) was an Italian sculptor and architect. While a major figure in the world of architecture, he was more prominently the leading sculptor of his ...

visited Meudon. Financial constraints finally forced Louis-Francois Servien to sell Meudon to François Lemoine de Louvois in 1679. Already, a year earlier in 1678, members of the

Académie Royale d'Architecture The Académie Royale d'Architecture (; en, "Royal Academy of Architecture") was a French learned society founded in 1671. It had a leading role in influencing architectural theory and education, not only in France, but throughout Europe and t ...

visited Meudon, and found that "what was renovated on the garden side of the castle in the days of M. Servien is very ruined, particularly the

cornice In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, around the top edge of a ...

of the central pavilion," (P.V.I. 193). File:Chateau meudon à la mort d'Abel Servien.JPG, Castle at the death of Abel Servien in 1659 File:Meudon sous Servien, avec la statue de Psyché.JPG, The parterre of Meudon and the statue of "Mercury and Psyche", about 1660. File:Mercure Psyché.jpg, ''Mercury and Psyche'', bronze by Adrien de Vries. File:The grotto of the castle at Meudon near Paris. Etching. Wellcome V0049998.jpg, The grotto in the state where Servien found it in 1654, after the troubles of the

. File:Shield of family Servien.svg, Arms of the Servien family. File:Distribution chateau vieux sous abel servien 1659.JPG, Layout of the first floor of the old castle at the death of Servien, 1659. File:Plan du rez-de-chaussée du Château-Vieux de Meudon à la mort d'Abel Servien, 1659.jpg, Layout of the ground floor of the old castle at the death of Servien, 1659. File:Entrée du chateau à l'arrivée de Servien 1654 M T Herlédan.JPG, Sketch of the castle entrance and the village in 1654, before the creation of the Great Terrace. (Marie-Thérèse Herlédan, Bulletin des Amis de Meudon). File:Schéma montrant l'évolution de meudon de 1654 à 1659.JPG, Diagram showing the evolution of Meudon under Abel Servien. File:Projet louis le vau pour modifier le pavillon central.JPG, Unfinished project by Louis Le Vau for to modify the central pavilion of the Vieux-Château. About 1655.

Louvois and his wife, Anne de Souvré (1679–1695)

For the powerful minister, who called himself "M. de Chaville" in his youth, the site of Meudon was ideal. It was near both Versailles and the Chateau of Chaville, where the family property was located. It was rebuilt by his father, Michel Le Tellier. Louvois obtained the superintendence for the buildings in 1683, then embarked on a series of grandiose rearrangements. He enriched the façade of the chateau with busts and balconies on columns of gray marble. He sumptuously redecorated the whole interior. He had woodwork installed in 1684. Above the doors were floral paintings in the style of

Jean-Baptiste Monnoyer Jean-Baptiste Monnoyer (12 January 1636 – 20 February 1699) was a Franco-Flemish painter who specialised in flower pieces. He was attached to the Gobelins tapestry workshops and the Beauvais tapestry workshops, too, where he produced cartoons ...

. A cabinet displayed miniatures of the groves of Versailles painted by Jean Cotelle the elder, doubtless a gift from Louis XIV in 1688 to thank his minister for the perfect completion of the marble Trianon de porcelaine. The large gallery, which occupies the entire right wing on the first floor, is adorned with twelve paintings by

Adam Frans van der Meulen Adam Frans van der Meulen or Adam-François van der MeulenAdam Frans van der Meulen
at the

Nicodemus Tessin the Younger Count Nicodemus Tessin the Younger (May 23, 1654 – April 10, 1728) was a Swedish Baroque architect, city planner, and administrator. The son of Nicodemus Tessin the Elder and the father of Carl Gustaf Tessin, Tessin the Younger was the midd ...

noted the following during his visit to the castle in 1687. "In Meudon, I went with a Gascon gentleman (who drew all the views of ancient Egypt, named M. Le Cas) and with M. Silvestre...The most remarkable in the house was the ceiling painted in oils directly on the vault by M. de La Fosse. At the four corners of the composition, simulating stucco, two seated figures and two standing figures were painted: in the corners and between the statues, the ceiling was painted in oils directly on the vault by

Charles de La Fosse Charles de La Fosse (or Lafosse; 15 June 1636 – 13 December 1716) was a French painter born in Paris. Life He was one of the most noted and least servile pupils of Le Brun, under whose direction he shared in the chief of the great decorativ ...

. In the corners and between the statues, there was something like an oeil-de-boeuf, through which the sky could be seen. Beside the figures and to make them stand out all the better, rich rugs of different colors, and between the first and the other corner, large ovals, in the center of which was depicted

Pandora In Greek mythology, Pandora (Greek language, Greek: , derived from , ''pān'', i.e. "all" and , ''dōron'', i.e. "gift", thus "the all-endowed", "all-gifted" or "all-giving") was the first human woman created by Hephaestus on the instructions ...

. Beside them, Mercury was particularly well painted. The vault stretched over the upper

, and the shadow below made a very good effect. The large stucco

listel An annulet is a small square component in the Doric capital, under the quarter-round. It is also called a fillet or listel, although ' and ' are also more general terms for a narrow band or strip, "a narrow band in architecture: fillet" such a ...

s all around were completely gilded. The adjoining room must also have been painted by M. de La Fosse. Above, in the oval room, the mirrors made a very good impression. They were arranged circularly and were as tall as the five windows. There was only a woodwork halfway up the wall. In each panel were placed three ice sheets, about 6 qv. High and, when you were in the center of the panel, you could see each other in the three windows at once. The gallery was nicely decorated with a number of tables of jasper, busts, etc., and all the King's actions were to be painted by Van der Meulen; Two were already completed. At one end of the gallery there was a drawing-room, in which the table and the whole panel between the two windows were lined with mirror glass, and the opening of the doors was so great that, Far, one could almost see the whole gallery. There is, moreover, a profusion of beautiful, very large mirrors. The furniture was very fine, but not of a peculiar taste. All winters are removed because of soil moisture. Beneath, in M. de Louvois's own room, there were three pipes of copper that permitted heat to pass at will. This heat came from a copper stove placed in the chimney of the neighboring room. A ventilation pipe passing under the vestibule arrived at this chimney, and then distributed the heat, when the window of this chamber was opened (like the "heat-making machine" at Versailles). Borne to one of the sides of the stable by pillars of stones or buttresses, the house is externally in very bad condition. The site is rugged to the possible but nevertheless very pleasant. The central aisle below in the garden in front of the terraces, is covered with turf and 70 yards wide; Then, in the middle of an alley of sand of eight yards wide, are spruces and other trees; Then, on two sides, a new lawn of nine yards, and again a sandy alley with trees eight yards wide. The parterre of M. Le Nostre, in the middle, in front of the cave that I have drawn, is very nice, so the two "embroidery" in the center in front of the house, with two marble vases and marble statues around the oval basin, hand-built as tiles did not do a bad effect. I also drew the boxes of the orange trees there, taking them separately. This garden is surrounded, as well as the park, by a wall at least seven miles in circumference. At the bottom of the garden was another large pleasure-house, which M. de Louvois had bought for life for M. Honoré Courtin Courtin. Outside, Louvois had extensive hydraulic works to power the waterways of the park, and allow the most spectacular water jets. The upper park was developed, while Le Notre worked on the gardens continually throughout the 1680s and created practically all of the lower gardens, invented new groves and parterre, including the one in front of the Grotto. Louvois also arranged a large vegetable garden along the avenue of the castle, in order to meet the needs of the castle, a vegetable garden which would later be called "the vegetable garden of the Dauphin". In short, he builds everything at Meudon that Louis XIV did in a more spectacular way still at Versailles at the same time. And he asked

, drawing master of the Louis de France to engrave the entire estate, which Silvestre carried out with several very spectacular prints, among the most careful of his work. In July 1681, the Queen of France, Maria Theresa of Spain, came to visit Meudon, where "Mr. de Louvoy had the honor of serving her" (d After the "Mercure Galant" of July 1681.) On August 17, 1684, Louvois had a great feast prepared for Meudon, in honor of Philip of Orleans (1640–1701). The King, and his wife, owners of the neighboring castle of Saint-Cloud, especially on July 2, 1685,

Louis XIV Louis XIV (Louis Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was List of French monarchs, King of France from 14 May 1643 until his death in 1715. His reign of 72 years and 110 days is the Li ...

, Louis de France The Dauphin, the Dauphine, Monsieur and Madame, "accompany the greater part of the Princes and Lords of the Court," come to Meudon, where Louvois treats the King and the whole Court " Of magnificence. "It was given" a magnificent collation, during which all the violins and oboes of the Opera played melodies by

Jean-Baptiste Lully Jean-Baptiste Lully ( , , ; born Giovanni Battista Lulli, ; – 22 March 1687) was an Italian-born French composer, guitarist, violinist, and dancer who is considered a master of the French Baroque music style. Best known for his operas ...

"(...)" But M. de Louvo He was sorry to see that he was pleased the whole time the king was with him." In 1686, a reception is still given to Meudon, in honor of the Siam ambassadors, who discovered both the gardens and the castle. Louvois was not present to receive them since he was with Maintenon and the King, to follow the work on the Eure canal. On August 25, 1689, Louvois again received Philip of Orleans (1640–1701) at dinner in Meudon. On the 29th of June, 1691, two weeks before the sudden death of Louvois, "Monseigneur went to Meudon with Madame Princesse de Conti; they made a snack at the chateau, and walked for a long time in the park and in the gardens "(Dangeau). On July 16, 1691, Louvois died suddenly at Versailles. He had reached the point of honors, and the splendor of Meudon symbolized this power materially. On the proposal of Louis XIV, the widow of Louvois,

Anne of Souvré Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna (name), Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah (given name), Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie (given name), ...

and his son Barbézieux agreed to exchange Meudon for the Chateau de Choisy and a balance. In the memoirs of the Marquis de Dangeau, on Wednesday, June 1, 1695: "In the morning, the king proposed to M. de Barbezieux the exchange of Choisy with Meudon; He asked her how much Madame de Louvois had taken Meudon in her share; M. de Barbezieux told him that she had taken him for a unit of 500,000 francs; The King told him that he would give him 400,000 of his return, and Choisy, whom he counted for 100,000 francs, if that were agreeable to Madame de Louvois; That he charged him to go and learn of her, but that he did not ask her for any complacency; That he wished that she should treat with him as with a private person, and should think only of his interests. M. de Barbezieux went to Paris to find his mother, who is pleased with the king's offer, and to whom the exchange is well suited. The contract will be signed on the first day; We started talking about business only in the morning, and it was finished in the evening." The castle, valued at 500,000 livres, and already considerably embellished by succeeding owners, knew its most brilliant period. CABINET DES MINIATURES DE VERSAILLES VERS 1690

CABINET DES MINIATURES DE VERSAILLES VERS 1690

File:Meudon vue de l'entrée Israel Silvestre louvois.jpg, View of the entrance of the château de Meudon, Israël Silvestre, 1685 File:Élévation fond de la cour chateau vieux meudon.JPG, Back of the courtyard of the Château-Vieux. Circa 1685–1690. Bibliothèque Mazarine, ms 3361 File:Élévation meudon.JPG, Facade of the parterre side of the Château-Vieux. Circa 1685–1690. Bibliothèque Mazarine, ms 3361 File:Distribution rez de chaussée Louvois chateau vieux de meudon.JPG, Layout of the ground floor of Meudon after the death of Louvois, 1695 File:Plan premier étage chateau vieux meudon 1695 louvois.JPG, Layout of the first floor of the Château-Vieux after the death of Louvois, 1695 File:Louvois chassant à Meudon.JPG, Louvois chassant à Meudon (Louvois hunting in Meudon), c. 1683. Musée de Versailles File:Château de Meudon17.jpg, Grande Perspective de Meudon, Israël Silvestre, third quarter of 17th century, Musée d'art et d'histoire de Meudon File:Vue des jardins bas de Meudon Israel Silvestre 1688.jpg, ''Vue du château de Meudon du côté du village de Fleury''. (View of the château de Meudon from the village of Fleury), Israel Silvestre, 1688. Musée d'art et d'histoire de Meudon

The apogee: Louis XIV and Monseigneur (1695–1711)

Works of the prince

Gravure aveline Meudon Musée art et d'histoire de meudon

Plan de table du dîner du 26 mai 1704 à meudon

The Grand Dauphin did extensive work at Meudon and turned it into his special showplace, spending a sum of one million one hundred forty thousand

French livre The livre (abbreviation: £ or ₶., French for (pound)) was the currency of Kingdom of France and its predecessor state of West Francia from 781 to 1794. Several different livres existed, some concurrently. The livre was the name of coins a ...

s, although the king his father had put it among the royal residences and in the charge of the

Bâtiments du Roi The Bâtiments du Roi (, "King's Buildings") was a division of the Maison du Roi ("King's Household") in France under the Ancien Régime. It was responsible for building works at the King's residences in and around Paris. History The Bâtimen ...

. Over sixteen years, at least three million livres were spent embellishing and maintaining the estate, a colossal sum. The prince redecorated the apartments to his liking. The Dauphin allowed Meudon to express his own artistic conceptions, breaking with the sometimes compassed aspect of the Louis XIV style. Although not for the first time, Meudon systematically used "Capucine" woodwork, carved and varnished strips of wood with gilt accents.

Regency style Regency architecture encompasses classical buildings built in the United Kingdom during the Regency era in the early 19th century when George IV was Prince Regent, and also to earlier and later buildings following the same style. The period co ...

partially manifested at Meudon. The Dauphin gathered there his rich collections, which attempted to compete with those of the king:

agate Agate () is a common rock formation, consisting of chalcedony and quartz as its primary components, with a wide variety of colors. Agates are primarily formed within volcanic and metamorphic rocks. The ornamental use of agate was common in Anci ...

vases, Indian fabrics,

Gobelin Gobelin was the name of a family of dyers, who in all probability came originally from Reims, France, and who in the middle of the 15th century established themselves in the Faubourg Saint Marcel, Paris, on the banks of the Bièvre. The first ...

tapestries, Chinese

porcelain Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises main ...

, paintings by great masters and especially his collection of gems. He did not hesitate to redecorate some rooms several times, removing for example the ceiling painted by

to give expression to the light style of Claude Audran. His main apartment was located the length of the ground floor in the east wing of the Château-Vieux. He also had the parade apartment in the Château-Neuf, as well as a "small fresh apartment" in the chestnut tree wing. The Dauphin liked to surround himself at Meudon with his family, his friends and

courtisan Courtesan, in modern usage, is a euphemism for a "kept" mistress (lover), mistress or prostitute, particularly one with wealthy, powerful, or influential clients. The term historically referred to a courtier, a person who attended the Royal cour ...

s, in particular

Marie-Adelaide of Savoy Marie Adelaide may refer to: * Marie-Adélaïde, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (1894–1924), reigned 1912–1919 * Princess Marie Adélaïde of Savoy (1685–1712), Duchess of Burgundy and Dauphine of France * Princess Marie Adélaïde of France (1 ...

the Duchess of Burgundy,

Marie-Anne of Bourbon (1666- 1739) Marie Anne de Bourbon, ''Légitimée de France','' born Marie Anne de La Blaume Le Blanc, by her marriage Princess of Conti then Princess Dowager of Conti, ''suo jure'' Duchess of La Vallière and of Vaujours (2 October 1666 – 3 May 1739) ...

, his daughter-in-law, the Princess of Conti, and

Louise Francoise de Bourbon, Duchess of Bourbon Louise or Luise may refer to: * Louise (given name) Arts Songs * "Louise" (Bonnie Tyler song), 2005 * "Louise" (The Human League song), 1984 * "Louise" (Jett Rebel song), 2013 * "Louise" (Maurice Chevalier song), 1929 *"Louise", by Clan of ...

, (1673–1743), her two half-sisters,

Louis-Antoine de Pardaillan de Gondrin D'Antin Louis Antoine de Pardaillan (5 September 1664 – 2 November 1736) was a French nobleman, marquis of Antin, Gondrin and Montespan, and first Duke of Antin. Biography The legitimate son of Louis Henri de Pardaillan de Gondrin, Louis Henri de Pa ...

son of Madame de Montespan. He also lodged his mistress, Marie-Émilie de Joly de Choin. Like his father at the Castle of Marly, the Dauphin liked to find a relaxed and warm atmosphere in Meudon with chosen companions. To accommodate this numerous entourage, the Dauphin undertook extensive additions. In 1702, space at the Château-Vieux soon proved inadequate. He had the chestnut tree wing, the former courtyard of the ''offices'', rearranged so as to connect it to the chateau by a hanging gallery. He arranged a large reception hall on the ground floor. He also built a new commons, which are still visible. He entrusted to

Jules Hardouin-Mansart Jules Hardouin-Mansart (; 16 April 1646 – 11 May 1708) was a French Baroque architect and builder whose major work included the Place des Victoires (1684–1690); Place Vendôme (1690); the domed chapel of Les Invalides (1690), and the Gran ...

, the architect of all these works, the construction of a chapel.

Antoine Coypel Antoine Coypel (11 April 16617 January 1722) was a French painter, pastellist, engraver, decorative designer and draughtsman.Noël Jouvenet, François Lespingola and Jean Hardy. In 1705, space was still lacking to accommodate the courtiers, more and more numerous. At any moment, Monseigneur might become the next king of France, through the death of the aging Louis XIV. The Dauphin then decided to demolish the grotto, which was out of fashion, and to build a new castle, the Château-Neuf . Jules Hardouin-Mansart and Louis XIV collaborated on the project, which was entrusted to the contractors of the chapel and the Palais de Versailles. All the work at Meudon was indeed done by the same artists employed by the king, who worked for the institution of the King's Buildings. The Château-Neuf had five levels, but due to the steep slope, did not have the same appearance on the side of the

parterre A ''parterre'' is a part of a formal garden constructed on a level substrate, consisting of symmetrical patterns, made up by plant beds, low hedges or coloured gravels, which are separated and connected by paths. Typically it was the part of ...

as on the side of the forest. It was composed of three pavilions crowned with roofs with ridge terrace, connected by building wings. This sober architecture, which was not to overshadow the architectural character of the neighboring Château-Vieux, was nevertheless enriched by fine sculptures on the side pavilions, and the central

pediment Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pedim ...

s, where angels holding the coat of arms of the Dauphin. Inside, a succession of apartments opened onto a large central corridor. The interior decoration, which highlighted the collections of the Dauphin, was composed of woodwork panels varnished or painted in pastel colors, enhanced by gilding. A ceremonial apartment was planned for Monseigneur, since Louis XIV retained his usual accommodation in the Château-Vieux, despite the new construction. The Château-Neuf was the admiration of all Europe. It was imitated some ten years later by the

Duke of Antin {{Use dmy dates, date=September 2021 The duchy of Antin was a French duchy created in 1711 by the promotion of the marquisate of Antin (held by the Pardaillan de Gondrin family) into a "duché-pairie". It merged the Marquisate of Antin and the bar ...

at the Petit-Bourg castle in Evry. Meudon panoramique chateau 1723 pierre denis martin

File:Distribution rez de chaussée arrivée Monseigneur 1695 château de Meudon.JPG, Layout of the ground floor of the Château-Vieux in 1695, at the arrival of Monseigneur. File:Distribution rez de chaussée 1700 château de Meudon.JPG, Layout of the ground floor of the Château-Vieux in 1700. File:Plan premier étage chateau vieux meudon 1700.JPG, Layout of the first floor of the Château-Vieux in Meudon, 1700 File:Coupe du chateau vieux de meudon avec la chapelle.JPG, Cutaway of the Château-Vieux, with the chapel, after 1702. East-west axis, 2013 File:Chateau vieux de meudon et aile des marronniers.JPG, Diagram of the Château-Vieux and of the aile des marronniers (Chestnut tree wing) to the right. ADY File:Facade détaillée sur jardin chateau neuf Mariette.jpg, Château-Neuf on the side of the

. Mariette, around 1715. File:Elevation of courtyard facade and plan of first floor of the Chateau Neuf.jpg, Diagram of the third level of the Château-Neuf (known as "le Bel étage", the beautiful floor), by Mariette, around 1715

The richness of the hanging gardens

The gardens were not to be outdone. The poem titled ''Maison royale de Meudon'' (Royal House of Meudon), dated 1703, even compared them to the

Hanging Gardens of Babylon The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World listed by Hellenic culture. They were described as a remarkable feat of engineering with an ascending series of tiered gardens containing a wide variety of tre ...

Semiramis ''Samīrāmīs'', hy, Շամիրամ ''Šamiram'') was the semi-legendary Lydian- Babylonian wife of Onnes and Ninus, who succeeded the latter to the throne of Assyria, according to Movses Khorenatsi. Legends narrated by Diodorus Siculus, who dr ...

. To expand Meudon, the Dauphin in 1696 acquired the neighboring estate of Chaville. He thus formed a vast hunting preserve where he and his father, who also liked Meudon, practiced

venery Venery may refer to: * Venery (hunting) or medieval hunting * Terms of venery or collective nouns {{disambiguation ...

. The park of Meudon was thus linked to that of Versailles, and together they made up the Grand Parc de Versailles, extending from Meudon to Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Many embellishments are carried out in the gardens. Louis XIV took pleasure in advising his son on them. The King - or his son - even drew up a "" a guide in the style of the texts written for Versailles. File:La cascade d'arthelon meudon.JPG, The Arthelon waterfall, lower gardens of Meudon. Ca. 1700 File:Cascades du vertugadin.JPG, one of the two waterfalls framing the "pièce de M. Le Nostre" (piece by Monsieur Le Nostre) File:Projet de modification du parterre de l'hôtel Courtin BNF vers 1720.jpg, Plan for renovation of the

of the Hôtel Courtin, lower gardens of Meudon, c. 1710. BNF File:Jardins du chateau de meudon.jpg, The park and the gardens of the château, Mariette, circa 1715 File:PlangénéralMeudon.jpg,

18th century

Drawing of the Château de Meudon by an unknown artist

At the death of the Dauphin in 1711, the castle was still perfectly maintained, since the ''

'' (King's Buildings) administered it. Nevertheless, until the death of Louis XIV, no member of the royal family returned to Meudon, as a result of the remarks made by Louis XIV the day after the death of Monseigneur his son, wishing that the new Dauphin, the Duke of Burgundy, make no more trips to Meudon. The Marquis de Sourches, on the 17th of April, 1711, notes that "Meudon was completely emptied and that all the furnishings were taken to the King's furniture storehouse." On 17 May 1717, the Tsar

Peter the Great Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...

, accompanied by Prince Rakoczy and the Marshal de Tessé visited Meudon and rode horseback in the gardens. On May 16, 1718,

Madame de Ventadour Charlotte de La Motte Houdancourt, Duchess of Ventadour (Charlotte Eléonore Madeleine; 1654–1744) was a French office holder of the French Royal Court. She was the governess of King Louis XV of France, great-grandson of King Louis XIV. She ...

organized a fireworks show for

Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reache ...

, who visited Meudon two or three times a week all that summer. On the following June 6, a new fireworks display was mounted in honor of the king.

Duchess of Berry, daughter of the Regent (1718–1719)

Marie Louise Elisabeth d'Orleans duchesse de Berry

Marie Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans Louise Élisabeth, Duchess of Berry (born Marie Louise Élisabeth, Mademoiselle d'Orléans; 20 August 1695 – 21 July 1719) was Duchess of Berry by marriage to the French prince Charles, Duke of Berry. She is known affectionately by the mon ...

, Duchess of Berry, eldest daughter of the Regent, owned the

Château d'Amboise The Château d'Amboise is a château in Amboise, located in the Indre-et-Loire ''département'' of the Loire Valley in France. Confiscated by the monarchy in the 15th century, it became a favoured royal residence and was extensively rebuilt. Kin ...

and wanted to swap it for Meudon. She was then the first lady of the court of France, and both cousin and aunt to the young unmarried king. The Regent eventually agreed to the exchange effective 30 October 1718. The Duchess of Berry, who was then pregnant, gave the management of this new residence to her paramour, the Count of Riom, lieutenant of her guards. Riom took possession of the castle the next day, 31 October. But the governor in office, Hyacinthe de Gauréault Dumont nevertheless retained his salary. On 2 November 1718, the Duchess went to Meudon to choose her apartments. On 8 February and 24 March 1719, the Regent came to Meudon to have supper with his beloved daughter, by then just about to give birth. From April 12 to May 14, 1719, the duchess was convalescing at Meudon, hoping to recover from her harrowing delivery. She died on July 21, 1719, at her

Château de la Muette The Château de la Muette () is a château located on the edge of the Bois de Boulogne in Paris, France, near the Porte de la Muette. Three châteaux have been located on the site since a hunting lodge was transformed into the first château fo ...

in Paris, to she had travelled from Meudon. On 22 July 1719, a few hours after her death, seals were affixed to her properties: the Luxembourg palace and her castles of La Muette and Meudon.

Saint-Simon (1719–1722)

After the death of his daughter,

Regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

made Meudon available in favor of Saint-Simon one of his principal advisers, a considerable honor. Thus, the famous memorialist could stay close to

, where the Regent owned his family castle. On the night of June 15–16, 1722, the marriage of the daughter of Saint-Simon, Charlotte of Saint-Simon, with the

Prince de Chimay Prince of Chimay is a title of Belgian and Dutch nobility associated with the town of Chimay in what is now Belgium. The title is currently held by Philippe de Caraman-Chimay, 22nd Prince de Chimay. The main residence of the princely family is Ch ...

was celebrated at the chateau. The blessing was given by the Abbé Languet de Gercy, parish priest of Saint-Sulpice.

Louis XV and his children

Louis XV with Marie Anne Victoire d'Espagne by François de Troy, Pitti

Le 27 septembre 1722, à la demande du jeune roi, le Maréchal de Villars vient à Meudon voir le fortin construit pour

, qui « lui parla souvent de son fort et le mena à toutes les attaques ». Rappelons que

était petit-fils de

Monseigneur Monseigneur (plural: Messeigneurs or Monseigneurs) is an honorific in the French language, abbreviated Mgr., Msgr. In English use it is a title before the name of a French prelate, a member of a royal family or other dignitary. Monsignor is ...

On the 17 April 1723, the King went to Meudon, went through the apartments of the Chateau, and gave some orders for the stay which his Majesty was to go there to do. Indeed, from 4 June to 13 August 1723, Louis XV, the "Infante Reine", the

and the Court settled in Meudon for a month, time enough to restore Versailles to house the young sovereigns. On August 10,

Cardinal William Dubois Guillaume Dubois (6 September 1656 – 10 August 1723) was a French cardinal and statesman. Life and government Early years Dubois, the third of the four great Cardinal-Ministers ( Richelieu, Mazarin, Dubois, and Fleury), was born in Brive-la- ...

died at Versailles. "As soon as he was dead, the Duke of Orleans returned to Meudon to inform the King of this news, who begged him to take charge of all the conduct of affairs, declared him Prime Minister, and was sworn in on the following day" . Pierre-Denis Martin (1663–1742) painted for the king "A vision of Meudon in perspective that includes all the park and the castle, Monseigneur entering there." On December 14, 1725, the new queen

Marie Leszczynska Marie may refer to: People Name * Marie (given name) * Marie (Japanese given name) * Marie (murder victim), girl who was killed in Florida after being pushed in front of a moving vehicle in 1973 * Marie (died 1759), an enslaved Cree person in Tr ...

, who married Louis XV on September 4, came to visit Meudon for the first time. Finally, in September 1726, a royal edict brought together Meudon at the Crown Estate with the land that depended on it, with the exception of Chaville Castle and Park, and Castle and farm of Villacoublay. On this occasion, the arms of Le Tellier - azure, with three lizards of silver laid in pal, to the chief sewn Gules charged with three gold stars - which were still in place within the central pediment, are erased. In May 1733, at Versailles, a scene was set up between Louis XV and the governor of the castle of Meudon: Marquis de Pellevé, "Stay of the Children of France in Meudon in 1733. The sojourn of the children of France at Meudon was decided at the beginning of May, 1733, in an assembly of doctors held in Versailles, with regard to their health, the death of Madame The Duke of Anjou having frightened the others. Their journey was subsequently scheduled for the 21st of the same month and a few days before De Pellevé, Governor of this castle, speaking of their stay with M. le Cardinal de Fleury, told him that it would cause him some expense, and that he was persuaded that his Eminence wished And to treat him like his predecessor M. Hyacinthe de Gauréault Dumont had been there while the feu Roy remained there, and to grant him the same gratification. The cardinal replied that the king's affairs were not in a position to make such graces, which did not prevent him from taking the time that the cardinal was with the king to speak to him in the presence of His Majesty and His Eminence told him the same thing. He did not confine himself to these two rejections, he made the same request on the 21st, at the time when his Majesty was speaking to the duke Of Charot. The King replied that the matter was decided, which obliged him to cease. Only for a few moments: for he has again returned to the charge, and has represented to the King that he has interrupted a second time, the expense which he would be obliged to make, and the injustice which was done to him, His Majesty to tell the captain of his guards to take him out of his room. It was ordered to the officer of the guards who commanded Meudon not to let him enter the chamber of the Louis de France (1729–1765) or the ladies".

Queen's parents: the visit of Stanislas Leszczyński (1736–1737)

On 4 June 1736, Stanislas Leszczyński, after abdicating in April, temporarily settled in Meudon. According to the

Duke of Luynes The Duke of Luynes (french: duc de Luynes ) is a territorial name belonging to the noble French house d'Albert. Luynes is, today, a commune of the Indre-et-Loire ''département'' in France. The family of Albert, which sprang from Thomas Alberti ( ...

, "S. M. [Sa Majesté

] goes there at least once a week since the king and queen of Poland live there.""Château de Meudon: Stanislaus à Meudon"
at wifeo.com, archived 18 February 2019. On 30 September 1736, King Stanislas secretly signed the Declaration of Meudon under pressure from Louis XV and the

Cardinal Fleury Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **'' Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, th ...

. According to the terms of the agreement, possession of the

Duchy of Bar The County of Bar, later Duchy of Bar, was a principality of the Holy Roman Empire encompassing the '' pays de Barrois'' and centred on the city of Bar-le-Duc. It was held by the House of Montbéliard from the 11th century. Part of the county, t ...

would be "current" for the former Polish king and "possible" for Louis XV. On 18 January 1737, Leszczyński handed the seals to the new Chancellor, who swore an oath to the King of Poland. The ceremony took place in the large vestibule of the Château Vieux, on the ground floor of the central pavilion. The painting by

François-André Vincent François-André Vincent (; 30 December 1746 – 4 August 1816) was a French neoclassical painter. Biography Vincent was born in Paris in 1746, the son of the miniaturist François-Elie Vincent. He studied under Joseph-Marie Vien and was ...

of this ceremony, is from much later, since it dates only from 1778. On 31 March 1737, "the king went today to Meudon bid farewell to the king and

queen of Poland Poland was ruled at various times either by dukes and princes (10th to 14th centuries) or by kings (11th to 18th centuries). During the latter period, a tradition of free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electable position in Europe (16th ...

" (Duke of Luynes). They left Meudon the next day, 1 April. The two castles were then stripped of their furnishings. In the summer of 1743, facing the threat of Charles Alexander, Queen

Catherine Katherine, also spelled Catherine, and other variations are feminine names. They are popular in Christian countries because of their derivation from the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria. In the early Christ ...

of Poland, wife of Stanislas and mother of the French queen, took refuge in Meudon. Stanislas took refuge in

Metz Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand ...

Minerve dit Alexandre Mazarin - MR 1633 Ma 3385

The Knight of Fréjus visited Meudon on 5 May 1748. He left the following description:

On the 5th of May 1748, the first Sunday of the month, I went to Meudon by
galiot A galiot, galliot or galiote, was a small galley boat propelled by sail or oars. There are three different types of naval galiots that sailed on different seas. A ''galiote'' was a type of French flat-bottom river boat or barge and also a flat- ...
. We went up to
Sèvres Sèvres (, ) is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris, in the Hauts-de-Seine department, Île-de-France region. The commune, which had a population of 23,251 as of 2018, is known for ...
and from Sèvres we went upriver to the Capuchin monastery at Meudon, where we heard mass. The church there is not unusual, but their garden is very beautiful. From there we ascended the terrace of Meudon to the château, which is situated on a mountain from which all 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. Si ...
and the surrounding villages can be viewed. All the hills around Meudon are planted in vineyards and well maintained. The castle is superb. I noticed on the main entrance the arms of Louvois, and below the image of
Louis XIV Louis XIV (Louis Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was List of French monarchs, King of France from 14 May 1643 until his death in 1715. His reign of 72 years and 110 days is the Li ...
in metal. A gallery reigns in beauty outside the windows of this castle, as well as a facade on the side of the garden, charming. The
Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland *Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri *Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia *Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports * Swiss Internation ...
then took me to the apartments, which are very beautiful, though less extensive than those of the Palace of Versailles. I saw two chambers lined in Gobelins tapestry of admirable beauty. Most rooms are covered in mirrors. The gallery leading to the chapel is superb. I saw there a very fine picture of the siege of Mannheim under
Louis XIV Louis XIV (Louis Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was List of French monarchs, King of France from 14 May 1643 until his death in 1715. His reign of 72 years and 110 days is the Li ...
, and a bust of Alexander of porphyry which is inestimable. Another, of
Aristotle Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of ...
in Egyptian marble, is seen as a masterpiece. The chapel of the castle is very agreeable, with a single
nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-typ ...
. There is only one altar, whose painting represents the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, but it is one of the most beautiful pictures that can be seen, and is said to be of Raphael by
Antoine Coypel Antoine Coypel (11 April 16617 January 1722) was a French painter, pastellist, engraver, decorative designer and draughtsman.he Château-Neuf He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
It is very lovely and very agreeable, but less handsome than the first. From the castles to the village which is at the foot of the mountain, one sees only parterres and gardens of a charming cleanliness and arrangement. We saw the orangeries, the greenhouses. They are far from being as beautiful as those of Versailles. From there we ascended by a superb staircase to the top of the mountain, where you find the most beautiful alleys of trees, with beautiful pools of water. Going through the woods on the side of Sèvres, you find a basin of prodigious expanse, at the top of the mountain, beside a green meadow with a very gracious view. The alleys and gardens of Meudon have no beautiful statues as at the park at Versailles. The castles themselves do not approach the richness of that of Versailles but the location of Meudon...provides a beautiful view...The stables there are not beautiful. After seeing all that there was to see, we were dined at Meudon in the village... For dinner for three, including me, I paid three ''livres''... have not eaten elsewhere pigeons so fat (...)

Château de Bellevue preferred after 1750

As an adult,

preferred the

Château de Bellevue The Château de Bellevue () was a small château built for Madame de Pompadour in 1750. It was constructed on a broad plateau in Meudon, above a slope overlooking the Seine to the east, but was demolished in 1823 and little remains. History ...

â that he had built for

Madame de Pompadour Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour (, ; 29 December 1721 – 15 April 1764), commonly known as Madame de Pompadour, was a member of the French court. She was the official chief mistress of King Louis XV from 1745 to 1751, and rem ...

. The castle was used to accommodate courtiers, and the castle stables are used to serve Bellevue, whose stables were very small. File:Vue de Meudon depuis fleury jacques rigaud vers 1730 40.JPG, View of Meudon from Fleury. Jacques Rigaud, ca. 1730-40 File:Fete à meudon au bout du parterre.JPG, "Dessein de la décoration et du feu d'artifice tiré à Meudon" (Drawing of decorations and fireworks at Meudon) in honor of the Duke of Burgundy, 13 September 1756. AD 92. File:Aile ouest du chateau vieux de meudon bibliotheque municipale de rouen.JPG, West wing of the Château-Vieux de Meudon, 1773. Drawing by architect File:Vue prise à Meudon thiery INHA.JPG, "Vue prise à Meudon" (View from Meudon): the stair of the Petit Pont. Late 18th century by Thiery de Sainte-Colombe, INHA

Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette in Meudon

MEUDON PARTERRE DU GLOBE ALBERTINA VIENNE

The new young king often liked to come and hunt in Meudon. One year after his accession, the architect drew up an inventory dated October 10, 1775, which enumerates the "mirrors, marbles, paintings and other effects belonging to the King" in the castle. In the margin are drawn overall diagrams of all the mirrors. An edict of the king, in May 1778, united the domain of Meudon to that of Versailles, "to be governed and administered in the future in the same manner." Louis XVI himself designed a pavilion called the "Trivaux Pavilion" in 1783, in an Anglo-Chinese style, which was finally corrected in a more French style by the architect Jean-François Heurtier. This pavilion was situated at the very top of the green carpet of Meudon, towards Meudon-la-Forêt. At Meudon

Louis XVI Louis XVI (''Louis-Auguste''; ; 23 August 175421 January 1793) was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He was referred to as ''Citizen Louis Capet'' during the four months just before he was ...

and his wife

Marie-Antoinette Marie Antoinette Josèphe Jeanne (; ; née Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last queen of France before the French Revolution. She was born an archduchess of Austria, and was the penultimate child ...

lost little Louis-Joseph de France, who died on June 4, 1789, a month before the capture of the Bastille. In 1791, the castle still served as a holiday home for the new Dauphin, as represented by a watercolor by Jean-Baptiste Isabey. In his "Journal," on June 8, 1788, Marquis de Bombelles described Meudon: "I accompanied the ladies to the ambassadors at the chateau de Meudon. The new castle, where we dined at the house of the Duke of Harcourt, was built by Monseigneur for

Marie Émilie de Joly de Choin Marie Émilie Thérèse de Joly, "Mademoiselle de Choin" (2 August 1670 – 1732) was a French lady-in-waiting, the lover and later the Morganatic marriage, morganatic spouse of Louis, Dauphin of France (1661-1711), Louis, Dauphin of France. As a ...

, his mistress. This castle is in a proportion which would render it suitable to every nobleman in a position to spend from 2 to 300,000 livres a year. It is not the same with the old castle. This palace, which M. de Louvois had enlarged, embellished with a magnificence as indecent as it is incredible, would still very easily be a truly royal residence. All the ceilings are painted in arabesque, as if the reigning taste had presided over their order. The cornices, the chimneys, the parquets of superb woodwork, nothing would need to be modernized. There is, in a turret, a cabinet painted also in arabesque on a background of gold, which is as fresh of paint as if it came from the hands of one of our best artists. It is a question of making this beautiful castle the home of all the summers, if we do not feel the sorrow of losing this prince." File:LouisXVI-France1.jpg, Portrait of

in 1786 File:Marie Antoinette Adult4.jpg, Portrait of

, 1783 File:Pavillon de trivaux meudon 1783 louis xvi heurtier.JPG, Pavillon de Trivaux, 1783 File:Mort du dauphin fils de louis xvi et marie antoinnette meudon 22 octobre 1781.JPG, Death of the Dauphin in Meudon, 4 June 1789 File:Chateau vieux de meudon isabey 1791 louis xvii.JPG, Retour de la promenade de Mr le Dauphin ( Louis XVII) at the vieux château in Meudon, Jean-Baptiste Isabey, 1791. Musée du Louvre

19th century: between pomp and decline

After 10 August 1792, the fate of the castle became uncertain. The

National Convention The National Convention (french: link=no, Convention nationale) was the parliament of the Kingdom of France for one day and the French First Republic for the rest of its existence during the French Revolution, following the two-year Nation ...

quickly took care to remove most of the over-the-door paintings, carefully disassembled and transferred to provincial museums, which saved them from destruction.

"Castle of the Republic" (1793–1795)

On November 4, 1793,

Pierre Choderlos de Laclos Pierre Ambroise François Choderlos de Laclos (; 18 October 1741 – 5 September 1803) was a French novelist, official, Freemason and army general, best known for writing the epistolary novel '' Les Liaisons dangereuses'' (''Dangerous Liaisons'' ...

, appointed chief commissioner of experiments at Meudon, took possession on behalf of the Minister of Marine of this place, where he had suggested setting up an artillery and ammunition tests But Choderlos de Laclos stayed only one day in Meudon, since he was arrested the next day. The site was transformed by the Convention into a national facility for various tests. It would serve as a factory for

s and became the "castle of the Republic", which serves as a place of experimentation to arm the new regime. As such, the castle will be the object of an illumination paid by the public funds.

Nicolas-Jacques Conté Nicolas-Jacques Conté (4 August 1755 – 6 December 1805) was a French painter, balloonist, army officer, and inventor of the modern pencil. He was born at Saint-Céneri-près-Sées (now Aunou-sur-Orne) in Normandy and distinguished himself for ...

was, together with several other scientists, in charge of these military and scientific experiments at Meudon, where he was given direction of the aerostation school established there. Conté had under his orders a confused gathering of young men in all professions, without any dye of chemistry, drawing, or mathematics, who were called upon to create an entirely new technique. Conté had to approach the elements of the different sciences, for this new teaching had to embrace everything: chemistry, physics, mechanics. Conté, by giving both theoretical and practical lessons, Conté had the models he gave, the instruments he imagined, executed by the hands of his pupils, spending his nights preparing drawings for his lessons, Experiences, sometimes dangerous. Nicolas-Jacques Conté Nicolas-Jacques Conté (4 August 1755 – 6 December 1805) was a French painter, balloonist, army officer, and inventor of the modern pencil. He was born at Saint-Céneri-près-Sées (now Aunou-sur-Orne) in Normandy and distinguished himself for ...

"> File:Fabrication des aérostats militaires au château de Meudon en France - découpage des toiles pour composer des fuseaux.jpg, File:Fabrication des aérostats militaires au château de Meudon en France - assemblage des fuseaux.jpg, File:Fabrication des aérostats militaires au château de Meudon en France - préparation du vernis.jpg, File:Fabrication des aérostats militaires au château de Meudon en France - étalage du vernis et vérification des joints.jpg, File:Aérostat au campement sous sa tente de protection.jpg,

Château-Vieux fire and demolition

In 1795, a fire, linked to the technical research of the occupants, ravaged the chestnut tree wing and damaged the west wing of the Castle-Vieux. The castle remained in this condition for nearly a decade. Many English visitors came to Meudon from 1802, and left several descriptions or drawings (for example the drawing of James Forbes). English colonel Henry Thornton Thornton, of Thornville-Royal, Yorkshire, describes the site in a letter written in English, dated August 31, 1802: :The day before, M. Belanger had proposed to us an excursion to Meudon, a pretty park whose interior covered the walls of twenty miles, and which had been Designated as a more than desirable potential investment. A chair had been fixed on a most comfortable carriage, in view of this expedition. The castle of Meudon, originally residence of Madame de Pompadour ic consists of an immense block, unfortunately, dilapidated. It nevertheless retains some traces of its past splendor. We were politely received by the concierge (or maybe he was the caretaker), whose manor was always likely to be converted into a pleasant one, in a beautiful park with a forest landscape covered with water jets and ponds. residence. This person led us to the castle, drawing our attention especially to the apartments of which the last occupant was none other than the unfortunate dauphin. I did not have time for further exploration of the park, but my guide informed me that it included farms, plains, etc., all within 500 acres, to which 10,000 acres of forest. He also told us that the walls were once partly collapsed, on the orders of the late king, in order to give the game the possibility of escape, but that these had since been repaired. He also pointed out that the estate comprised 29 water bodies of various sizes, leading me immediately to one of them, with a capacity of about 9 acres. The latter was walled and partly surrounded by a wooded landscape, but its shape offered, from a distance, a pleasant rendering. It was also necessary to take into account the presence of some fish, hares and rabbits, as well as a reasonable number of partridges on the estate. On the other hand, all the pheasants had been slaughtered. The whole of the castle, as I said before, is now in ruins, and to entirely shave it would entail considerable expense, the cement of these old buildings being particularly solid. But from the point of view of its extent and its proximity to the capital, Meudon would undoubtedly constitute a precious acquisition (...) The painter

Hubert Robert Hubert Robert (22 May 1733 – 15 April 1808) was a French painter in the school of Romanticism, noted especially for his landscape paintings and capricci, or semi-fictitious picturesque depictions of ruins in Italy and of France.Jean de Cayeux. ...

, who was in charge of the landscaping of the gardens of Meudon under Louis XVI, comes to draw the demolition site in 1804. The Château-Vieux is destroyed from

803 __NOTOC__ Year 803 ( DCCCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Emperors Nikephoros I and Charlemagne settle their imperial boundaries i ...

In 1805, there is still a small part of the Château-Vieux (southwestern pavilion) as well as the chapel, as indicated by François Collet Duclos in his report of 3 Ventose 13 (February 22, 1805). The whole was the subject of excavation works until about 1808, after recovering some ornaments, including the stone columns nowadays located in the small rotunda of the Palais du Luxembourg (Senate), that the architect Jean Chalgrin was able to reuse. File:James forbes musée ile de france sceaux 1802.JPG, ''Le Château-Vieux de Meudon en ruines, en 1802''. James Forbes, Musée de l'Ile-de-France, Sceaux File:Démolition du Château-Vieux de Meudon 1804 Hubert Robert.JPG, ''La démolition du Château-Vieux de Meudon'', by

, 1804 File:Gouache hubert robert démolition meudon.jpg, Trois ouvriers déplacent une colonne du château de Meudon. Hubert Robert, circa 1804. Musées de Weimar, Schossmuseum, KK 9110 File:Demolition of the Château of Meudon by Hubert Robert, Getty Center.JPG, ''Démolition du Château-Vieux de Meudon'', Hubert Robert, 1806.

Getty Museum The J. Paul Getty Museum, commonly referred to as the Getty, is an art museum in Los Angeles, California housed on two campuses: the Getty Center and Getty Villa. The Getty Center is located in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles and ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

(

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

) File:Schéma de la démolition château de meudon 22 février 1805.JPG, Schéma du Château-Vieux de Meudon en cours de démolition, 22 February 1805. En rose foncé, ce qu'il reste à démolir. ADY, 2Q 34 File:Colonnes provenant du château de Meudon Sénat rotonde.JPG, Columns from the château, taken to the rotonda of the Senate par Chalgrin

Napoleon : Meudon, Imperial Palace of the King of Rome (1807–1815)

Eckersberg, CW - Udsigt fra Meudon Slot nær Paris - 1813

After deciding in 1803 to demolish the Château-Vieux, which had been burnt down in 1795, and when he was only Bonaparte, Emperor Napoleon decided in 1807 to make the Château-Neuf an imperial palace. He restored the gardens and refurbished the Château-Neuf, notably by the architect Jean-Baptiste Lepère. A wing called the "Economat" was erected on the site of a part of the ruins of the chestnut wing. The Emperor, who wanted to make Meudon a "school of kings" in Europe, installed the

King of Rome The king of Rome ( la, rex Romae) was the ruler of the Roman Kingdom. According to legend, the first king of Rome was Romulus, who founded the city in 753 BC upon the Palatine Hill. Seven legendary kings are said to have ruled Rome until 50 ...

in 1811, under the responsibility of his governess,

Louise Charlotte Françoise de Montesquiou Louise Charlotte Françoise de Montesquiou, ''née'' de Le Tellier de Louvois-Courtanvaux de Montmirail de Creuzy (1765–1835) was a French courtier. She was the royal governess of Napoleon II from 1811 until 1814. She was the daughter of Charles ...

. To this end, numerous orders were made to furnish the palace of the Empire's heir (new Empire style decoration), furnishings, silks, etc.). On April 22, 1811,

Napoleon I 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 wh ...

visited Meudon. On June 30, 1811, Meudon was placed at the disposal of

Letizia Bonaparte Maria-Letizia Buonaparte (née Ramolino; 24 August 1750 (or 1749) – 2 February 1836), known as Letizia Bonaparte, was a Corsican noblewoman, mother of Napoleon I of France. She became known as “” after the proclamation of the Empire. She ...

. In April 1812, the King of Rome came to stay at Meudon. During the summer, Queen of Westphalia, wife of

Jerome Bonaparte Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian priest, confessor, theologian, and historian; he is comm ...

, also stayed at Meudon, with Madame Mother. The Empress was said to have resided at the palace during the Russian campaign, although she was staying at Saint-Cloud. From March 24 to November 14, 1813, the Queen of Westphalia made another visit to Meudon. But, at the fall of the

First Empire First Empire may refer to: *First British Empire, sometimes used to describe the British Empire between 1583 and 1783 *First Bulgarian Empire (680–1018) *First French Empire (1804–1814/1815) * First German Empire or "First Reich", sometimes use ...

, the castle lost its status of Imperial Palace. File:Napoleon I of France by Andrea Appiani.jpg, Napoleon I, as King of Italy, 1805 File:Projet aménagement terrasse du chateau de meudon napoléon vers 1808.JPG, Drawing for the terrace refusing under

, by Jean-Baptiste Lepère, c. 1808 File:Vue du chateau de meudon premier empire vers 1812.JPG, Château de Meudon c. 1812,

File:Distribution napoélon Ier meudon 1812.jpg, Layout of the third level of the Château-Neuf under Napoleon I, 1812 File:Fauteuils de meudon premier empire chateau fontainebleau.JPG, Seating ordered by Napoleon I for Meudon, Fontainebleau museum File:Pendule de l'Etude ou de la Méditation, vers 1810, bronze doré et marbre griotte,.JPG, Pendule de l'Étude ou de la Méditation, vers 1810, Mobilier National. File:Feu en deux parties, vers 1810-1811, bronze doré, Feuchère, Mobilier National.JPG, Feu en deux parties, c. 1810–1811, gilded bronze,

Jean-Jacques Feuchère Jean-Jacques Feuchère (24 August 1807 – 26 July 1852) was a French sculptor. He was a student of Jean-Pierre Cortot, and among his students was Jacques-Léonard Maillet. Selected works * Relief panel ''Le Pont d'Arcole'', Arc de Triomp ...

, Mobilier National File:Guéridon, bois de frêne bronze doré et marbre blanc, Mobilier National.JPG, Guéridon, bois de frêne bronze doré et marbre blanc, Mobilier National File:Console fournie par Maigret, bois de frêne et marbre blanc, Mobilier National.JPG, Console fournie par Maigret, bois de frêne et marbre blanc, Mobilier National File:Ecran à glace, bois de frêne, bronze doré, miroir, Mobilier National.JPG, Écran à glace, bois de frêne, gilded bronze, mirror, Mobilier National File:Lustre placé dans la Galerie du Château-Neuf, vers 1811, bronze doré, Feuchère Mobilier National.JPG, Lustre placé dans la Galerie du Château-Neuf, c. 1811, gilded bronze, Feuchère, Mobilier National File:Feu de la galerie du chateau neuf de meudon mobilier national.JPG, Feu de la galerie du Château Neuf de meudon, Mobilier National

Meudon under the Restoration and the Orleans

Louis XVIII Louis XVIII (Louis Stanislas Xavier; 17 November 1755 – 16 September 1824), known as the Desired (), was King of France from 1814 to 1824, except for a brief interruption during the Hundred Days in 1815. He spent twenty-three years in ...

Charles X Charles X (born Charles Philippe, Count of Artois; 9 October 1757 – 6 November 1836) was King of France from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. An uncle of the uncrowned Louis XVII and younger brother to reigning kings Louis XVI and Lou ...

and

Louis-Philippe Louis Philippe (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850) was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, and the penultimate monarch of France. As Louis Philippe, Duke of Chartres, he distinguished himself commanding troops during the Revolutionary Wa ...

used Meudon as a hunting ground near Versailles. Charles Ferdinand, son of Charles X, went to Meudon to hunt between 1815 and 1820. After his abdication of the Imperial throne of Brazil on April 7, 1831,

Pedro I of Brazil Dom Pedro I (English: Peter I; 12 October 1798 – 24 September 1834), nicknamed "the Liberator", was the founder and first ruler of the Empire of Brazil. As King Dom Pedro IV, he reigned briefly over Portugal, where he also becam ...

returned to Europe and settled in France with the title of Duke of Braganza. In the autumn of 1831 he spent some time at the Château-Neuf, an estate the king

freely put at his disposal. During his stay in France, he became a friend of the famous General La Fayette. A studio was then installed below the old gardens at the bottom of Meudon. The Prince of Orleans, under the

July Monarchy The July Monarchy (french: Monarchie de Juillet), officially the Kingdom of France (french: Royaume de France), was a liberal constitutional monarchy in France under , starting on 26 July 1830, with the July Revolution of 1830, and ending 23 ...

stayed there in 1834 and wrote his memoirs there. But in 1842 he died accidentally in

Neuilly-sur-Seine Neuilly-sur-Seine (; literally 'Neuilly on Seine'), also known simply as Neuilly, is a commune in the department of Hauts-de-Seine in France, just west of Paris. Immediately adjacent to the city, the area is composed of mostly select residentia ...

. Louis-Philippe also made available the castle of Meudon to Marshal

Jean-de-Dieu Soult Marshal General Jean-de-Dieu Soult, 1st Duke of Dalmatia, (; 29 March 1769 – 26 November 1851) was a French general and statesman, named Marshal of the Empire in 1804 and often called Marshal Soult. Soult was one of only six officers in Frenc ...

, who stayed there several times in the summer. On May 8, 1842, a railway catastrophe took place in Meudon, in which

Jules Dumont d'Urville Jules Sébastien César Dumont d'Urville (; 23 May 1790 – 8 May 1842) was a French explorer and naval officer who explored the south and western Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica. As a botanist and cartographer, he gave his nam ...

perished. It was the first in France and one of the first in the world.

Louis-Philippe I Louis Philippe (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850) was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, and the penultimate monarch of France. As Louis Philippe, Duke of Chartres, he distinguished himself commanding troops during the Revolutionary Wa ...

offered the Château-Neuf to treat survivors. After the revolution of 1848, plans were made to make Meudon the new headquarters of the Ecole Polytechnique. But these grandiose projects, one of which was established by the architect

Hector-Martin Lefuel Hector-Martin Lefuel (14 November 1810 – 31 December 1880) was a French architect, best known for his work on the Palais du Louvre, including Napoleon III's Louvre expansion and the reconstruction of the Pavillon de Flore. Biography He was ...

, did not in the end see the light of day. File:Meudon pris des murs du haras bnf.JPG, Meudon, taken from the walls of the stud farm, by Bergeron. Ca. 1825. BNF. File:Meudon sous louis philippe porcelaine sevres à fontainebleau.JPG, Detail of

Sèvres Sèvres (, ) is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris, in the Hauts-de-Seine department, Île-de-France region. The commune, which had a population of 23,251 as of 2018, is known for ...

representing the Château-Neuf of Meudon under Louis-Philippe. Fontainebleau museum, Galerie des Assiettes (Gallery of Plates). File:Ecurie du chateau de meudon.jpg, Stables at Meudon, preserved. File:Stalle séparation chevaux écurie du chateau de Meudon XIXe siècle.jpg, 19th-century stall from the stables at Meudon.

Second Empire: hideout of Prince Napoleon

Napoléon Joseph Charles Paul Bonaparte painting

Although Meudon was assigned to Prince Jerome's uncle

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 neph ...

, he did not visit the property. On the contrary, from 1860 to 1870, his son, Napoleon Bonaparte, cousin of the Emperor Napoleon III, often occupied Meudon. In Paris, he owned the famous Pompeian house sheltering his connection with the actress

Rachel Felix Rachel () was a Biblical figure, the favorite of Jacob's two wives, and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, two of the twelve progenitors of the tribes of Israel. Rachel's father was Laban. Her older sister was Leah, Jacob's first wife. Her aun ...

, but it was to Meudon that he came to "sulk" over the protocol at the imperial court, of which he was not fond. He brought his wife Marie-Clotilde of Savoy and her three children, Louis Bonaparte (1864–1932), Louis Victor and Marie Laetitia. He collected many species of plants and exotic animals, brought back from his travels abroad. Several large receptions were organized at the castle, such as the one in honor of Louis I, king of Portugal, in 1867. File:Chateau neuf meudon vers 1860 second empire.JPG, Château-Neuf de Meudon c. 1860 File:PLANCHE 20.jpg, Meudon from the upper terrace. "Paris dans sa splendeur". Chapuis del. File:Réception du roi de portugal à Meudon.JPG, Reception for Louis I of Portugal given by Prince Napoléon, ''salon-serre'' of the Château-Neuf (former upper vesti File:Chenil de meudon chiens du prince napoléon.JPG, Meudon kennels and Prince Napoleon's dog

1871 Château-Neuf fire and takeover by the Observatoire de Paris

Occupation de la terrasse suite incendie chateau

Destruction incendie chateau neuf archives departem 92

Because the site is strategic, dominating Paris, a battery of Prussian artillery was installed there in 1870. The new castle caught fire on 31 January 1871 and burned for almost three days. Hypotheses on the cause included either a deliberate fire set by the Prussians as they left, or a bombardment by '' La Douai '', a naval cannon, placed in bastion 74 of the Thiers precinct. The ruins were preserved for several years, until the site was entrusted to astronomer

Jules Janssen Pierre Jules César Janssen (22 February 1824 – 23 December 1907), usually known as Jules Janssen, was a French astronomer who, along with English scientist Joseph Norman Lockyer, is credited with discovering the gaseous nature of the solar ...

in 1875. Janssen did not hesitate to raze nearly half the Château-Neuf, and together with architect Constant Moyaux, between 1880 and 1885 built there an astronomical observatory, later attached to the

Paris Observatory The Paris Observatory (french: Observatoire de Paris ), a research institution of the Paris Sciences et Lettres University, is the foremost astronomical observatory of France, and one of the largest astronomical centers in the world. Its histo ...

in 1927. Since then most of the estate (high preserved gardens) has been closed to the general public, and remains so to this day. File:Château de Meudon 1871.jpg, The Château-Neuf after the fire of 31 January 1871 File:Photographie chateau neuf détruit.jpg, Photograph of the Château-Neuf after the fire, 1871. Private collection File:Vue de Meudon en 1871 par Clerget musée carnavalet.JPG, View of Meudon after the war of 1871. Hubert Clerget, Musée Carnavalet File:Intérieur du chateau neuf 1871.JPG, Photograph of the lower vestibule of the Château-Neuf after the 1871 fire File:Chateau Neuf Meudon février 1871.tif, The ruins of Château-Neuf and surroundings, February 1871 Frise chronologique chateau meudon

The 20th century: a gradual renovation

Over the years, vegetation has encircled the Orangery, making it inaccessible. The destruction of the old village of Meudon after the war, and the reconstruction of the city center, has removed the once picturesque setting of multiple roofs at the foot of the old castle. The notion of heritage did not gain traction in French society until the 1970s and 1980. The entire estate is now registered as a historic monument, though this was done very late for such a historic site, while similar large estates in Ile-de-France had been declared historic well before.

The domain today

Although the Château-Vieux was destroyed, it still retains much of the splendor of the domain. In fact, 40% of the surface area of the original buildings, (the remains of the Château-Neuf, orangerie, communes, etc), still exists. One can still admire the avenue of the castle traced by Louvois, the guardhouses and common of the Grand Dauphin, the kennel of Louvois, the great prospect of Servien, the nymph and the orangery of Louis Le Vau, and one can imagine the terraced gardens below the observatory, as well as the pond of Chalais and the green carpet. And above all, the large terrace, the most impressive achievement, is perfectly preserved. The orangery of Meudon was completely restored in 2012. Thanks to its exceptional location (Paris-Versailles, the most touristic area in France) and its panoramic view of Paris (one of the most spectacular in Ile-de-France), the site is a tourist and economic hub.

The domain today

File:Vue orangerie et chateau neuf meudon 25 sept 2015 bambax.jpg, Aerial view of the Orangery and the remains of the Château-Neuf converted to an observatory File:Vue avenue chateau meudon 25 sept 2015 bambax.jpg, Aerial view of the terrace with the avenue of the château, towards the north File:Vue des écuries de Meudon 25 sept 2015 bambax.jpg, Aerial view of the old stables of Meudon File:Vue grande terrasse et écuries meudon 25 sept 2015 bambax.jpg, Aerial view of the terrace at Meudon, with the Bel Air pond File:Vue parterre orangerie chateau meudon 25 sept 2015.jpg, Aerial view of the Grande Perspective towards the south File:Vue paris depuis meudon 25 sept 2015 bambax.jpg, Aerial view of Paris from Meudon File:Vue de paris depuis meudon 2013.JPG, View of Paris from Meudon, 2013 File:Meudon-Observatoire.jpg, The great dome of the observatory, built on the remains of the Château-Neuf File:Le chateau neuf en observatoire meudon 2014.JPG, Remains of the Château-Neuf, converted to an observatory. 2014 File:Orangerie de Meudon 2013.JPG, L'Orangerie de Meudon, 17th century, restored in 2012 File:Communs du chateau de meudon 2009.JPG, View of the commons of the château, conserved today. 2009 File:Contreforts du château de Meudon.JPG, The contreforts of the terrace of the old parterre of the château de Meudon, 2013 File:Mur de la terrasse haute dit de beauvais chateau de meudon.jpg, The high terrace today File:Perspective de meudon de nos jours.JPG, The Grande Perspective at Meudon, condition in 2010 File:Etang de Bel Air Obversatoire chateau meudon.tif, Bel Air pond today File:Porte dauphine côté entrée chateau meudon.JPG, Porte dauphine, 1703. Museum of Fine Arts, Reims of Chalais, before the Grande Perspective, today. File:Vue panoramique de la grande terrasse de meudon.JPG, Panoramic view of the Grande Terrasse at Meudon, 2013

Legal status: a split and partly inaccessible space

Zone inaccessible observatoire de meudon

Today, the domain of Meudon is divided in two parts. ''The lower part:'' The large terrace and the

are managed by the

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

and are freely accessible to the public. ''The upper part:'' The Observatory (Chateau-Neuf), the high gardens, as well as the communes situated at the entrance, come under the Ministry of National Education and are assigned to the Observatory of Paris. They are closed to the public. The State still owns the entire estate, both the part assigned to the Observatory and that which is managed by the city government. However, as regards the part of the domain accessible to the public, the State has signed a management agreement for the national domain of Meudon with the town of Meudon, which now manages it. Financially, the State still plays its role as owner and manages the pruning and maintenance work. It leaves it to the City to manage the site located within its territory.

The rehabilitation project of the Great Perspective

Grande perspective restituée préfecture hauts de seine

The project to reconstitute the Great Perspective of Meudon was launched as early as the 1980s, but has made little progress to date. Nevertheless, it continues, in consultation with the parties concerned. Indeed, three quarters of this major landscape axis of Ile-de-France, by

André Le Nôtre André Le Nôtre (; 12 March 1613 – 15 September 1700), originally rendered as André Le Nostre, was a French landscape architect and the principal gardener of King Louis XIV of France. He was the landscape architect who designed the gard ...

, are preserved. Only the part between the orangery gardens and the Chalais Pond remains blocked. Schéma grande perspective meudon 2015

Archaeological potential

No excavation has ever been undertaken on the site of the Chateau-Vieux. However, the demolition records are formal: all the cellars and ditches remain under the current lawn. An archaeological campaign could make it possible to highlight this hidden heritage. The only unknown parameter is the exact nature of the impact on the subsoil at the Château-Vieux right-of-way during the Prussian occupation in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. Indeed, The Prussians occupied the whole terrace of Meudon, to bombard the capital and monitor operations. Superposition archéologie de la terrasse de Meudon

Superposition archéologie de la terrasse de Meudon

Detail of the domain

Vieux-Château

Chateau vieux meudon franck devedjian herve gregoire 2012

The Château-Vieux was the central building of the estate, and the first historical castle at Meudon. It aligned with the Great Perspective. Coupe du château vieux de Meudon

Ground floor

= Grand Vestibule and Great Staircase

= These rooms were created when Louis Le Vau rebuilt the central pavilion of the castle for Abel Servien between 1655 and 1658. File:Restitution du petit vestibule château de Meudon Franck Devedjian 2012.JPG, Small

vestibule Vestibule or Vestibulum can have the following meanings, each primarily based upon a common origin, from early 17th century French, derived from Latin ''vestibulum, -i n.'' "entrance court". Anatomy In general, vestibule is a small space or cavity ...

, 1658 to 1803 File:Coupe du grand escalier de Meudon.JPG, Cross-section of the Grand Escalier (great staircase) 1658 to 1803 File:Coupe du grand vestibule château de Meudon Franck Devedjian 2012.JPG, Cross-section of the Grand Vestibule (great vestibule), 1658 to 1803

= "Grand Apartment" of Monseigneur

= This was the principal dwelling in Meudon of

(1661–1711), son of Louis XIV, on the ground floor of the east wing of the Château-Vieux. It was preserved intact throughout the 18th century. In its final configuration, beginning in 1701, it was composed successively of: * Guard room; * Dining room enlivened by four canvases of

Bacchus In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, myth, Dionysus (; grc, wikt:Διόνυσος, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstas ...

; * Billiard room, adorned with four oval canvases of mythological subjects; * Antechamber; * Bedroom of the Dauphin, where he died of

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...

on April 14, 1711; * Corner cabinet; * Small wooden wardrobe in the Capucine style; * A small Capucine mezzanine, wooded

Guardroom

Salle des gardes chateau vieux de Meudon appartement du dauphin

Blondel specifies in his '' Françoise Architecture '': "In the House of Guards, in a Royal House, is called a large room where the Guards of the Prince are held, and against the panels of which are attached carabiners, To lay down their arms; They also place in these sorts of places

taboret A taboret (also spelled tabouret or tabourette) refers to two different pieces of furniture: a cabinet or a stool. 17th-century stool As a stool, it refers to a short stool without a back or arms. The name is derived from its resemblance to a ...

s, which are the kinds of tables on which are made the counts, and of which the bottom receives during the day the beds in which the guards rest during the night. These rooms must be spacious, very high, have large chimneys, and be decorated with simplicity. See those of Versailles, of Meudon, of the Chateau des Thuileries ...".

= Dining room of the Dauphin (from 1700)

Salle à manger de Monseigneur au chateau vieux de Meudon

The 1775 inventory indicates that after the additions and other work of 1700, the room was "wooded height of gilded frames, cornice of the same, chimney of

Campan Campan (; oc, Campan) is a Communes of France, commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie region of south-western France. Geography Campan stands in a valley of the sa ...

green marble ...". In 1700, Monseigneur commissioned four different painters to paint "bacchic" subjects. The same artists then adorned the grand salon of the Chateau de Marly. * By

(1636–1716): Le triomphe de bacchus charles de la fosse

''The triumph of Bacchus'', who is carried on an elephant, with his tyrsus in his right hand, several Baccantes around him carrying instruments. In the foreground are two children, one mounted on a tiger, on the left one sees

Silenus In Greek mythology, Silenus (; grc, Σειληνός, Seilēnós, ) was a companion and tutor to the wine god Dionysus. He is typically older than the satyrs of the Dionysian retinue ('' thiasos''), and sometimes considerably older, in which ...

on the reverse. * By

Jean Jouvenet Jean-Baptiste Jouvenet (1 May 1644 – 5 April 1717) was a French painter, especially of religious subjects. Biography He was born into an artistic family in Rouen. His first training in art was from his father, Laurent Jouvenet; a generation ear ...

(1644–1717): La naissance de bacchus jean jouvenet

Mercury who takes flight after having put Bacchus in the hands of the Nymphs. This relates to the legend of his mother

Semele Semele (; Ancient Greek: Σεμέλη ), in Greek mythology, was the youngest daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia, and the mother of Dionysus by Zeus in one of his many origin myths. Certain elements of the cult of Dionysus and Semele came fr ...

, who was beloved by

Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but slightly less than one-thousand ...

, and whose downfall by lightning was engineered by Jupiter’s jealous wife Juno. * By

Bon Boullogne Bon Boullogne (bapt. February 22, 1649 – May 17, 1717) was a French painter. Biography Boullogne was born in Paris, a son of the painter Louis Boullogne;

(1649–1717): Vénus, Bacchus et Cérès, par Bon de Boullogne

''Venus, Bacchus and Ceres'', namely "A passage from Horace which says that without the good dear Venus cools; On the left of the picture is Baccus, who presses a grape of grapes into a cup held by a

Flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring ( indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''. ...

; Beside her, a Ceres who looks at her; In the bottom, under a trellis, there is a dressed buffet; In the of the picture, below, there are two little children who seem to ask to drink, are lying on a tiger." This painting is preserved in the Louvre Museum where it is called "Bacchus and Ariane". It is also named in the ancient inventories ‘’Bacchus and Ariane’’, ‘’Bacchus and Erigone’’ or ‘’Bacchus, Flora and Ceres’’. Sent to the Central Museum at the end of the year II, it lost its attribution but remained at the Louvre, where it was found among the anonymous members of the French school. It is to be restored. * By

Antoine Coypel Antoine Coypel (11 April 16617 January 1722) was a French painter, pastellist, engraver, decorative designer and draughtsman. The theme comes from episode number six of

Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; traditional dates 15 October 7021 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: th ...

's ‘’

Eclogues The ''Eclogues'' (; ), also called the ''Bucolics'', is the first of the three major works of the Latin poet Virgil. Background Taking as his generic model the Greek bucolic poetry of Theocritus, Virgil created a Roman version partly by offer ...

’’, entitled "Silenus," in which Virgil writes: "And as the old man opens his eyes, he blushes his forehead and the temples of the juice Bloody of the blackberry."

, asleep in a cave after his usual drinking, is surprised by two

satyr In Greek mythology, a satyr ( grc-gre, σάτυρος, sátyros, ), also known as a silenus or ''silenos'' ( grc-gre, σειληνός ), is a male nature spirit with ears and a tail resembling those of a horse, as well as a permanent, ex ...

s and the nymph Egle, for whom he promised to sing. The two satyrs seized Silenus, whom they bound with ivy, while the beautiful Egle blushed her face with blackberries, which she crushed in order to snatch from her threat the fulfillment of her promise. Measurements: 4 feet 9 inches by 4 feet 1 inches. The picture was substantially cut in the nineteenth century. It is preserved in the Museum of Fine Arts of Reims

Billiard room

Beginning in 1700, the old staircase by Louvois and

Jules Hardouin Mansart Jules Hardouin-Mansart (; 16 April 1646 – 11 May 1708) was a French Baroque architect and builder whose major work included the Place des Victoires (1684–1690); Place Vendôme (1690); the domed chapel of Les Invalides (1690), and the Grand ...

was demolished to create a series of rooms, including the "Salon du Billard". The 1775 inventory says that the room is "wooded of height, with gilded frames, gilded

s, chimney of gryot marble". Monseigneur ordered for this room a series of paintings above the doors, of the same size and all of oval form: * By

: ''Hercules between Vice and Virtue'': "At the top of the picture Wisdom, represented by

Minerva Minerva (; ett, Menrva) is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. Minerva is not a patron of violence such as Mars, but of strategic war. From the second century BC onward, the R ...

, whose child is wearing a shield, points out to Hercules the temple of Memory on the left. Height 4ft 10in; L. 3ft 5 in; oval. For this work Charles de La Fosse was paid twice, 600 livres in 1700, and 200 livres more in 1701, "for the perfect payment of 800 livres for the picture he made at Meudon, representing Hercules".(CBR t IV col 675) . The painting, painted in 1700, had a format of 3 feet 10 inches by 3 feet 5 inches.

Frédéric Villot Marie-Joseph Frédéric Villot (31 October 1809 – 27 May 1875) was a French printmaker and friend of the prominent Romantic painter Eugène Delacroix, was also an art historian, who served as paintings curator of the Louvre Museum from 1848 to ...

correctly identified the painting at Meudon with a canvas, now rectangular, in the museum of Nevers in 1872 By

: Latone and the peasants of Lycia, where one discovers "Latone with his two sons asking for water from the peasants of Lycia who refused to appear in an attitude of supplication, raising his arms upwards, invoking Jupiter who transforms them into frogs; At the bottom of the landscape there appears a flock of cows passing over the edge of the marsh. " A copy of this work is preserved in the Museum of Art and History of Meudon, another, undoubtedly the original, in the

Palace of Fontainebleau Palace of Fontainebleau (; ) or Château de Fontainebleau, located southeast of the center of Paris, in the commune of Fontainebleau, is one of the largest French royal châteaux. The medieval castle and subsequent palace served as a residence ...

It is inspired directly by the central white marble sculpture of the Latone fountain in the gardens of the

. * Latone et les paysans lyciens: By

Louis de Boullogne Louis de Boullogne II (19 November 1654 – 2 November 1733), known as Boullogne fils, was a French painter. Life Boullogne was born and died in Paris, and was the brother of Bon Boullogne. Their father, Louis Boullogne, feared rivalry between t ...

the Younger. ''Cephale and Procris'' ( Cephalus of Phocis and his wife) who gives a dart to his husband; She has her left arm extended and her hand resting on a dog she seems to caress; At the top of the picture there appears a cupid which carries the torch of the hymen." After being deposited at Compiègne, the painting was sent in 1962 to the Musée de Saint-Etienne under the title: '' Venus and Adonis '', and attributed in error to Bon Boullogne. Its ancient oval shape is clearly visible. The painting was made and posed in 1700, as ''David and Abigail'' commissioned by the same painter. A preparatory drawing is held at the Cabinet des Arts Graphiques in the Louvre. * Antoine Coypel], then the youngest painter of the four: '' 'Hercules bringing back Alceste from the underworld''; Height 3 feet 10 inches; Width 3 feet. It is a question of "Hercules returning to Admetus his wife Alceste that he brings back from the Underworld", a picture brought to Meudon by Antoine Coypel himself. The painting was placed before May 1700, according to a memoir cited by F. Engerand Charles-Antoine Coypel, the painter's son, showed the novelty of these literary subjects. To execute the painting of Meudon, Antoine Coypel was translated by M^me Dacier the fifth act of the tragedy of

Euripides Euripides (; grc, Εὐριπίδης, Eurīpídēs, ; ) was a tragedian of classical Athens. Along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, he is one of the three ancient Greek tragedians for whom any plays have survived in full. Some ancient scholars ...

. The painting is preserved in the Cholet Museum of Art and History, Cholet Museum of Art and History. The work was formerly titled "Hercules Delivering Theseus"! In May 1700, Antoine Coypel came to Meudon himself to install his barely completed work. File:Latone et les paysans de Lycie.JPG, Latone et les paysans de Lycie, Jean Jouvenet, Musée d'art et d'histoire in Meudon File:Hercule entre la Volupté et la Vertu charles de la fosse musée nevers meudon.JPG, ''Hercule entre la Volupté et la Vertu'' (Hercules Between Voluptuousness and Virtue), Charles de La Fosse, musée de Nevers File:Hercule ramenant Alceste des Enfers Antoine Coypel musée cholet.JPG, ''Hercules Bringing Alceste Out of the Hells'', Antoine Coypel, Musée d'art et d'histoire de Cholet File:Céphale et Procris Louis de Boullogne le jeune saint étienne.JPG, ''Céphale et Procris'', Louis de Boullogne le Jeune, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Saint-Étienne.

Antechamber (former dining room of the Dauphin from 1695 to 1699)

The former "dining room of Monseigneur", which had this function in 1695, became a real antechamber with the enlargement of the apartment. The inventory of 1775 indicates: "Room lighted by two windows, paneling with gold frames, gilded cornice, ceiling in gilt arabesque and painted by Audran.

Jacques-François Blondel Jacques-François Blondel (8 January 1705 – 9 January 1774) was an 18th-century French architect and teacher. After running his own highly successful school of architecture for many years, he was appointed Professor of Architecture at the Acad ...

recalls his admiration for these ceilings of arabesques at Meudon, although he condemns the style of the ceiling to decorate the dwelling of a prince:

« D'ailleurs l'on peut réduire ces ouvrages à des nuages avec des Génies, & à quelques belle grisaille qui en forme les extrémités; décoration préférable à ces riches, mais peu vraisemblables peintures grotesques, dont on voit d'ingénieux desseins d'Audran, & qui sont exécutées avec un succès étonnant dans quelques appartements de Meudon, aussi bien que dans les plafonds & sur les lambris du Château de la Ménagerie: seul bâtiment où ce genre de peinture soit convenable ».

The inventory of 1775 adds that there is also a "green

marble chimney, the top of the mantelpiece decorated with marble of any height with gold-bronze ornamentation of ground gold, the mirror in two parts, the first 52 inches wide by 96 inches high, the second 52 inches by 26 inches high. Two paintings above the doors of each 3 feet 6 inches wide by 2 feet 9 inches high, representing fruit and flowers, painted by Batiste Fontenay". In this antechamber, the dauphin placed the collection of paintings offered to Louis XIV in 1693 by

and which the king put at the disposal of his son. These works are now preserved in the

Louvre Museum The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

Bedchamber of the Grand Dauphin

The inventory of 1775 indicates that the chamber of the Dauphin possessed: "Wall panels of gilded frames, gilded cornice, gilded ceiling and painted in arabesques by

Claude Audran III Claude Audran III (25 August 1658 – 27 May 1734) was a French painter. Audran was born in Lyon into a family of artists. He lived with his uncle, Claude Audran the Younger. Painter to the Louis XIV of France in 1699. From 1700-1701 he took par ...

, marble serancolin fireplace, the top in violet brown marble, the whole very ornamented with bronze gilded of ground gold. (...) Two paintings above doors of 3 feet 5 inches by 4 feet 1 inch of width representing fruits painted by Batiste ". It is in this room that Monseigneur died on April 14, 1711. This chimney excited the curiosity of the researchers: the famous little painting preserved at Versailles, representing "the Regent in his Cabinet of work with the Duke of Chartres" by

Fiske Kimball Sidney Fiske Kimball (1888 – 1955) was an American architect, architectural historian and museum director. A pioneer in the field of architectural preservation in the United States, he played a leading part in the restoration of Monticel ...

as representing the Dauphin at Meudon. Of course, one finds there the type of furniture and decorations that could decorate the castle. But Jerome de La Gorce asks the right question:

"Has this interior really existed? Is it not surprising that the chimney, the paneling to the left of the door and the desk, that is to say, most of the elements of the decoration, are identical in the engraved work of Berain? Does not the painter, whose career is still obscure, have had recourse to the plates published by the draftsman to reconstruct a framework worthy of the personages whom he represented? The inventory of the furnishings of the crown mentions in the year 1695: " °1615 - An upholstery icof red and yellow satin velvet, embroidered and silver lined, listed before No. 783, Which has been upgraded and furnished to serve Monseigneur le Dauphin at Meudon, now consisting of a full bed, four armchairs, eight folding seats, two panes, two doors, six sheets of screens, a business chair and two tapestries".

In addition, Monseigneur retrieved for his room the small ebony desk encrusted with copper and tortoiseshell which he had bought at Godron, which had a plateau supported by eight bronze

caryatids A caryatid ( or or ; grc, Καρυᾶτις, pl. ) is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head. The Greek term ''karyatides'' literally means "ma ...

, with, in the middle of the marquetry, one cupid on an escarpolette. In addition to this desk, the room included a table and two pedestals, the tablets of which were decorated with Chinese grotesques with figures and birds.

Corner Cabinet

The inventory of 1775 indicates that the room is adorned with "Wall panels with large gold frames, golden cornice, gilded ceiling with arabesques painted by Audran. Chimney of violet breccia marble, the top decorated in marble of all the height with bronzes very rich in children and ornaments gilded of ground gold (...). As with the two previous rooms, Audran decorated with arabesques the ceiling: "Having come to Meudon on April 22, 1699, the king left on the 24th; Two days later, on the 25th of April, Mansart received orders from Monsignor to have the paintings of the ceiling of his corner cabinet erased, to print it with three layers of white, and to paint a base Grotesque like that in the room of the Dauphin. " The ceiling which was then erased can only be that realized by Charles de La Fosse for Louvois, whose subject is ''Pandore'', and whose modello has been identified by Clémentine Gustin-Gomez. In 1702 there was found: "In the Grand Cabinet of Monseigneur: Five Porcelains, 630 Louis; Two Bronzes 180 Louis. Stéphane Castelluccio identified these two bronzes as the ''Laocoon'' and ''Lutteurs'', for which Monseigneur certainly commanded their rich 'feet of marquetry'. Finally, the inventory of the royal furniture (Tome II, pp. 434, 1697) indicates under the number: "1768 - Four couty mats striped with two strands of wool, with their threads of several colors, for the windows of the cabinet of Monseigneur at Meudon. " Saint-Simon, describing the death of the Grand Dauphin, tells us that it is in this room, on the evening of April 14, 1711, that the famous scene of the comings and goings takes place between the corner "Cabinet" The King, and the adjoining room where Monseigneur is dying: "As he was about to enter the room, the Princess of Conti, who had had time to run to Monseigneur's in that short interval of the table-out, presented herself to prevent him from entering the room. She even pushed him away, and told him that he must no longer think of anything but himself. Then the king, almost in weakness of so sudden and complete a reversal, let himself go on a couch which was at the entrance of the door of the closet by which he had entered, which gave into the room. He asked all that came out of it for news, and hardly anyone dared to reply. Madame de Maintenon, hastening to the king, sat on the same sofa and tried to weep. She was trying to take the king, whose carriages were already ready in the courtyard, but there was no way of making him realize that the Monseigneur had expired. This unconscious agony lasted nearly an hour after the king was in the closet. The Duchess and the Princess de Conti divided themselves between the care of the dying man and of the king, to whom they frequently returned, while the confused Faculty, the distraught valets, the buzzing courtesan, pushed each other and walked without ever changing place ". File:Plafond la fosse cabinet chateau.jpg, Schéma of the ceiling of the corner cabinet, erased by the dauphin in 1699 File:Arts decoratifs 5482 A claude audran iii.jpg, Arabesques on gold background by Claude Audran III, circa 1700. Archives des Arts décoratifs de Paris, inv. 5482 A. For the Ménagerie de Versailles or the apartment of the Dauphin at Meudon File:Arts decoratifs 5482 B claude audran iii.jpg, Other décors by Audran, inv. 5482 B

= The apartment named "of the Duke and the Duchess of Burgundy"

= It was situated between the Grand Vestibule and the apartment of Monseigneur. These rooms were the main apartment of Abel Servien, who died there in his room on the ground floor in 1659. When

settled in Meudon in 1695 he gave this dwelling, next to his own, to Philip of Orleans (1640–1701), who occupied it until his death in 1701. The dwelling was then occupied by the Duke and the Duchess of Burgundy until their death in 1712.

Rooms on the ground floor

Plan premier étage chateau vieux meudon 1700

The first floor contained large reception rooms, mainly the "Salon des Moures" and the gallery.

= Salon des Maures

Restitution salon ovale meudon depuis escalier

Abel Servien created this oval room, centerpiece of the castle, which looks out on the

. This salon was built at the same time as the one at

Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte The Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte (English: Palace of Vaux-le-Vicomte) is a Baroque French château located in Maincy, near Melun, southeast of Paris in the Seine-et-Marne department of Île-de-France. Built between 1658 and 1661 for Nicolas Fo ...

was built for

Nicolas Fouquet Nicolas Fouquet, marquis de Belle-Île, vicomte de Melun et Vaux (27 January 1615 – 23 March 1680) was the Superintendent of Finances in France from 1653 until 1661 under King Louis XIV. He had a glittering career, and acquired enormous wealth ...

, and is similar, although slightly smaller in size. The

received no painted decoration.

Gabriel Blanchard Gabriel Blanchard, known as Blanchard Le Neveu, (1630 in Paris, France – 1704) the only son of Jacques Blanchard, was born in Paris in 1630, and studied under his uncle, Jean Baptiste Blanchard. He was, in 1668, elected Academician on the mer ...

produced the twelve

grisaille Grisaille ( or ; french: grisaille, lit=greyed , from ''gris'' 'grey') is a painting executed entirely in shades of grey or of another neutral greyish colour. It is particularly used in large decorative schemes in imitation of sculpture. Many g ...

s under the cornice, which the 1733 inventory describes: "In the same salon there are twelve paintings painted in grisaille representing the twelve months of the year by games of children, they are of damoiselet aux, of Gabriel Blanchard and can not raise the place being all maroufles, two feet high, 6 feet 5 inches wide. Louvois placed in this salon twelve terms in Moorish and Moorish marble, eight of which are now in the Palace of Compiègne, transferred there at the very end of the 18th century. The minister also embellished the attic with seven paintings of flowers by

. The 1733 inventory of paintings of Meudon describes them: # "a golden vase filled with all kinds of flowers, laid on a blue carpet embroidered with gold - the bottom of the picture is a sky." # "a golden vase, or rather an agathic manner, whose handles are of gold, filled with all kinds of flowers, a carpet behind which is embroidered with gold, with two parrots, one blue and the other yellow." # "A golden ornamented goderon vase filled with all kinds of flowers - a carpet behind embroidered gold with a red and green parrot". # "A vase in the shape of a silver bowl filled with all sorts of flowers placed on a red carpet embroidered with gold with a peacock on the bowl." # "A golden vase garnished with all kinds of flowers, among which a poppy falls with one of its leaves to the pedestal on which the vase is laid." # "A golden vase laid on a foot-filled way filled with all kinds of flowers with a peacock behind the vase." # "A gold and silver vase set on a blue and gold carpet whose lining is crimson with a monkey holding a fish." File:Maure chateau meudon compiègne C38.120 MR 2494.jpg, Terme féminin, C38.120 MR 2494. File:Château meudon compiègne C38.98 MR 2492.jpg, Terme masculin, C38.98 MR 2492. File:Maure chateau meudon compiègne C38.129 MR 2495.jpg, Terme féminin, C38.129 MR 2495. File:Chateau meudon maure compiègne C38.122 MR 2497.jpg, Terme masculin, C38.122 MR 2497. File:Château meudon maure C38.97 MR 2496.jpg, Terme masculin, C38.97 MR 2496. File:Maure château de meudon compiègne C38.121 MR 2493.jpg, Terme masculin, C38.121 MR 2493.

= The antechamber called games

Antichambre des jeux ok 5 octobre 2016 Franck Devedjian

After the Salon des Maures a series of reception rooms served as rooms for games, and, as it were, for so-called "apartment" evenings, as at Versailles. The first room after the oval salon was square and had two windows on the side of the pit. Monseigneur the dauphin hung on the wall the tapestry of the History of the King, to please his father.

= Game room

= The second room was similar to the first, and was also enriched with draperies, the northern bays being clogged for this purpose. Chambre des jeux ok 5 oct 2016 Franck Devedjian

Chambre des jeux ok 5 oct 2016 Franck Devedjian

= Salon du Petit Pont

This corner room was one of the two salons framing the gallery. It had access to the "Petit Pont" (small bridge), which led directly to the high gardens. Alexander's porphyry bust was placed there.

= Gallery of the old castle

Schéma de l'intérieur de la galerie du château vieux de meudon franck devedjian 2012

The gallery of Meudon had an area of 300 m², and the main room measured 40 meters long. There were also two drawing-rooms, the Salon du Petit Pont, and the Salon des Albane to the north. COUPE DE LA GALERIE DU CHATEAU VIEUX DE MEUDON Franck Devedjian 2012

COUPE DE LA GALERIE DU CHATEAU VIEUX DE MEUDON Franck Devedjian 2012

File:La prise d'ypres chateau de meudon galerie.jpg, La prise d'Ypres File:La prise de fribourg.jpg, La prise de Fribourg File:La prise de condé chateau meudon galerie.jpg, La prise de Condé File:La prise de lau chateau meudon galerie.jpg, La prise de Lau File:La fidélité.jpg, ''La Fidélité'' (Fidelity), following a drawing by

Pierre Mignard Pierre Mignard or Pierre Mignard I (17 November 1612 – 30 May 1695), called "Mignard le Romain" to distinguish him from his brother Nicolas Mignard, was a French painter known for his religious and mythological scenes and portraits. He was a ...

, Jardins de Versailles File:La fourberie.jpg, ''La Fourberie'', following a drawing by

, Jardins de Versailles File:L'aurore ou le point du jour.jpg, ''

Aurora An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...

, or daybreak'', by Gaspard Marsy, following a drawing by

Charles Le Brun Charles Le Brun (baptised 24 February 1619 – 12 February 1690) was a French painter, physiognomist, art theorist, and a director of several art schools of his time. As court painter to Louis XIV, who declared him "the greatest French artist of ...

, Jardins de Versailles. File:Flore Philippe Buyster.jpg, '' Flore'', by

Philippe Buyster Philippe is a masculine sometimes feminin given name, cognate to Philip. It may refer to: * Philippe of Belgium (born 1960), King of the Belgians (2013–present) * Philippe (footballer) (born 2000), Brazilian footballer * Prince Philippe, Count ...

(1595–1688) File:Minerve dit Alexandre Mazarin - MR 1633 Ma 3385.jpg, The ''Alexander'' of Mazarin. Musée du Louvre File:Alessandro rondoni, busto di raffaello, 1690 ca..JPG, Bust of the painter Raphaël, by Alessandro Rondoni File:Alessandro rondoni, busto di annibale carracci, 1690 ca. 02.JPG, Bust of Annibal Carrache, by Alessandro Rondoni File:Jupiter et Junon algarde meudon wallace collection.jpg, Jupiter and Junon, bronzes by the Algarde. Wallace Collection, London File:Piedestaux abbaye de chaalis chateau de meudon.JPG, Octagonal pedestals placed in the gallery. Abbey of Chaalis Vue entrée chapelle tribune galerie 30 sept 2012 - Copie

Vue entrée chapelle tribune galerie 30 sept 2012 - Copie

= The Albane salon

This chamber ends the gallery, and it is the pendant of the Salon du Petit Pont, in symmetry. The salon is named for the painter

Francesco Albani Francesco Albani or Albano (17 March or 17 August 1578 – 4 October 1660) was an Italian Baroque painter who was active in Bologna (1591–1600), Rome (1600–1609), Bologna (1609), Viterbo (1609–1610), Bologna (1610), Rome (1610–1617), ...

, for several oval-shaped canvases had been placed in the corners, copies reinterpreted from the master's work. The architecture of the room, with its niches adorned with mirrors and its domed ceiling, was inspired directly by the Cabinet of the medals of Louis XIV at Versailles. The dauphin will place there the great bronzes of L'Algarde, ''Jupiter'' and ''Juno''.

= The apartment said of Louis XIV

Andrea del sarto charité musée du louvre

At the end of the 19th century, Louis XIV's apartment consisted of an antechamber, a royal chamber, a small passageway to the rear, That of a "cabinet of the mirrors of the King", which had a balcony allowing to admire the view on Paris.

Council antechamber

Antichambre louis xiv chateau vieux de meudon

This room without woodwork had three windows on the side of the floor and two French windows on the side of the courtyard allowing access to the balcony. The mantelpiece was of Campanian green marble.

The bedroom of Louis XIV in Meudon

Above the fireplace in the king's chamber hung the original of "Charity" by Andrea del Sarto, then a copy of this painting. This work can be interpreted as an allegory of the transmission of royal power.

The cabinet of the mirrors of the king

File:Cabinet des glaces 1697 premier étage du chateau vieux.JPG, Elévation de la paroi Nord. File:Paroi est du cabinet des glaces du roi château meudon.JPG, Elévation de la paroi Est. File:Paroi sud du cabinet des glaces du roi château meudon.JPG, Elévation de la paroi Sud. File:Paroi Ouiest du cabinet des glaces du roi château meudon.JPG, Elévation de la paroi Ouest. File:Cabinet des glaces de Louis XIV château de meudon Franck Devedjian & Hervé Grégoire janvier 2013.JPG, Restitution 3D du Cabinet des glaces de Louis XIV, Franck Devedjian & Hervé Grégoire, janvier 2013.

= Apartment of Madame de Maintenon

INV 8548 bon format david et abigail louis de boullogne

Madame de Maintenon Madame may refer to: * Madam, civility title or form of address for women, derived from the French * Madam (prostitution), a term for a woman who is engaged in the business of procuring prostitutes, usually the manager of a brothel * ''Madame'' ( ...

's apartment consisted of an antechamber, a bedroom, and a closet in the center of the east wing, as well as a balcony with a view of Paris. In the cabinet of Maintenon, there was a painting above the door of David and Abigail, painted by Louis de Boullogne. File:Antichambre de mme de maintenon.jpg, Antechamber of M^me de Maintenon, c. 1700 File:Chambre de mme de maintenon ok 6 oct 2016 Franck Devedjian.jpg, Chamber of Mme de Maintenon, 1700–1711 File:Cabinet de Mme de Maintenon premier étage chateau Meudon.jpg, Cabinet of M^me de Maintenon, c. 1700

= Apartment of the Princess of Conti

Coupe de la chambre de la princesse de conti

Afterwards, the apartment of the Princess of Conti followed and ended with another "Cabinet des mirroirs". In the Princess room were two paintings by

Antoine Coypel Antoine Coypel (11 April 16617 January 1722) was a French painter, pastellist, engraver, decorative designer and draughtsman.Monseigneur Monseigneur (plural: Messeigneurs or Monseigneurs) is an honorific in the French language, abbreviated Mgr., Msgr. In English use it is a title before the name of a French prelate, a member of a royal family or other dignitary. Monsignor is ...

for the apartment of his

half-sister A sibling is a relative that shares at least one parent with the subject. A male sibling is a brother and a female sibling is a sister. A person with no siblings is an only child. While some circumstances can cause siblings to be raised sepa ...

. Antoine Coypel Antoine Coypel (11 April 16617 January 1722) was a French painter, pastellist, engraver, decorative designer and draughtsman. File:Peinture psyché amour.jpg, Psyché découvrant l'Amour endormi, Antoine Coypel, 1701 File:Psyché abandonnée par l'amour coypel rmn.jpg, Psyche Abandoned, Antoine Coypel, 1701 File:Venus aux forges de lemnos meudon.jpg, Vénus aux forges de Lemnos, Antoine Coypel. 1701

Chapel

The chapel was completed at the end of 1702, on the plans of

. This construction, desired by Monseigneur, was aimed at by Louis XIV. This chapel follows the same model as the Royal Chapel at the Chateau of Versailles and the Royal Chapel of Versailles. However, the chapel of Meudon was completed a decade before that of Versailles. Like the latter, it has a barrel-vaulted nave ending in a cul-de-four above the sanctuary. Above the high altar is a large painting of

Antoine Coypel Antoine Coypel (11 April 16617 January 1722) was a French painter, pastellist, engraver, decorative designer and draughtsman.Charles de La Fosse Charles de La Fosse (or Lafosse; 15 June 1636 – 13 December 1716) was a French painter born in Paris. Life He was one of the most noted and least servile pupils of Le Brun, under whose direction he shared in the chief of the great decorativ ...

will model this composition to undertake the painting of the kiln furnace of the royal chapel of Versailles. Another painting by Coypel, '' The Annunciation, '' completes the set. The arms carved above the tribune are royal weapons on the drawing projecting the chapel, but will eventually be realized according to the model of weapons delphinales. The architectural theorist,

, cites as an example, with the chapels of the Châteaux de Sceaux and Clagny "Perfect models". It will be destroyed between 1805 and 1808. File:Coupe de la tribune de la chapelle du château de Meudon.JPG, Coupe de la tribune of the chapel of the château de Meudon, 1701 File:Projet de coupe de la chapelle de Meudon AN.JPG, Projet non définitif de coupe of the chapel of Meudon. Dessin de Jules Hardouin-Mansart, 1701. AN. File:Plan définitif de la chapelle de Meudon vers 1775-1780.JPG, Plan définitif of the chapel of Meudon, circa 1775–1780. AN File:L'intérieur de la chapelle du château de Meudon 1703 jeton.JPG, Jeton representing the interior of the chapel of the château of Meudon, seen from the tribune, 1703. Private collection File:Copie de la Résurrection chapelle de Vernon.JPG, Copy of ''Résurrection'' by Antoine Coypel, chapel of Vernon File:L'Annonciation antoine coypel château de meudon.JPG, ''L'Annonciation'', by Antoine Coypel. Estampe de Drevet

Chestnut Tree Wing

The old "Cour des Offices", or "Basse Cour", was transformed by

to create luxurious ceremonial rooms. The entire annex then took the name of "Wing of the Marronniers". The large reception rooms extend the width of the Terrasse des Marronniers. A small, luxurious apartment, the "Small Fresh Apartment", was also arranged behind these large rooms, no doubt for the Dauphin to receive his mistresses.

Small hanging gallery

This gallery links to the communicating gallery which follows it perpendicularly. A large buffet painted by Fontenay completes the perspective of the small suspended gallery.

Communicating gallery

Restitution galerie de communication aile marronniers meudon

This room is decorated with large paintings by

François Desportes François () is a French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis. People with the given name * Francis I of France, King of France (), known as "the Father and Restorer of Letters" * Francis II of France, King ...

, commissioned for the chamber, and which would make the painter's success. File:Coupe aile marronniers chateau de meudon.jpg, Communicating gallery, Chestnut tree wing, c. 1703. Reconstruction by Franck Devedjian, 2012 François Desportes François () is a French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis. People with the given name * Francis I of France, King of France (), known as "the Father and Restorer of Letters" * Francis II of France, King ...

canvasses commissioned for the communicating gallery, 1703"> File:Un cerf poursuivi par des chiens françios desportes.JPG, ''Un cerf poursuivi par des chiens'' (Stag Pursued by Dogs), François Desportes, 1703 File:La mort d'un chevreuil françois desportes meudon.jpg, ''La mort d'un chevreuil'' (Death of a deer), François Desportes, 1703 File:Meute de monseigneur musée gien.jpg, ''La meute de Monseigneur'' (Hounds of Monseigneur), 1703, Musée de Gien File:Mort du loup francois desportes chateau meudon.JPG, ''La mort du loup'' (Death of the wolf), François Desportes, 1703 File:Desportes sanglier chassé par 8 chiens.jpg, ''Un sanglier chassé par huit chiens'' (A Boar Chased by Eight Dogs), François Desportes. 1703

Large oval cabinet

Salon des miroirs de Charlottenburg Allemagne

Projet triomphe de Bacchus Bon Boullogne Albertina

Also called the "Salon doré" (golden salon) where hung the "Triumph of Bacchus" by Bon Boullogne. The painting disappeared, but a preparatory drawing, preserved at the Albertina Museum (Vienna), and attributed to his brother Louis, allows us to understand what the composition of this work might look like.

Large corner cabinet

The dauphin had some prestigious paintings in this room, including'' Renaud and Armide'' by the

Dominiquin Domenico Zampieri (, ; October 21, 1581 – April 6, 1641), known by the diminutive Domenichino (, ) after his shortness, was an Italian Baroque painter of the Bolognese School of painters. Life Domenichino was born in Bologna, son of a shoema ...

, and ''Moses saved from the waters'' by

. These canvases come from the royal collections.

Grand Salon

It was the main room of the apartment of the chestnut trees, with an area of 100 m². The dauphin placed there other pictures from the royal collections, including two by Paul Veronese. Grand salon aile des marronniers chateau meudon

File:Coupe du grand salon aile marronniers.jpg, Essai de restitution de la coupe de la paroi Est du grand salon des marronniers, circa 1705 File:Paroi sud grand salon aile marronniers 1705.jpg, Essai de restitution de la coupe de la paroi Sud du grand salon des marronniers, around 1705. With paintings placed by Monseigneur the dauphin. File:Élévation grand salon côté terrasse aile des marronniers 9 oct 2016 franck devedjian.jpg, Essai de restitution de la coupe de la paroi Ouest du grand salon des marronniers, circa 1705 Nicolas Loir Nicolas Pierre Loir (1624, Paris – 1679, Paris), was a French painter and engraver of religious and historical allegories. Biography According to the RKD he was a pupil of Sébastien Bourdon and Simon Vouet, who later became a follower of ...

from the queen's apartment in Versailles, repurposed in the Grand Salon."> File:Pithopolis faisant servir des mets en or au roi Pithès nicolas loir meudon.JPG, ''Pithopolis faisant servir des mets en or au roi Pithès'' (Pithopolis having King Pithès served food of gold), Nicolas Loir, formerly "Cléopâtre qui, dans un festin....", musée de Brou. File:Reine donnant audience à un vieillard par Nicolas Loir perpignan.JPG, ''Reine donnant audience à un vieillard'' (Queen Giving Audience to an Old Man), by Nicolas Loir, also known as ''La reine de Saba'' (The Queen of Saba), ,

Perpignan Perpignan (, , ; ca, Perpinyà ; es, Perpiñán ; it, Perpignano ) is the prefecture of the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France, in the heart of the plain of Roussillon, at the foot of the Pyrenees a few kilometres from the ...

File:Reine s'adressant à ses soldats nicolas loir.JPG, ''Reine s'adressant à des soldats'' (Dueen addressing soldiers), or "la reine de Saba appuyée sur son trône" (the Queen of Saba leaning on her throne), Nicolas Loir, musée du Louvre, n°8715

The dining room

It was in this hall that the Bishop invited guests to dine.

The cabinet of the buffet

This small room had two small basins, from which flowed streams of water.

"Small Fresh Apartment"

Behind these large reception rooms, the Prince was given a "small fresh apartment", which consisted of an antechamber and another room. As well as a cabinet, it was enlivened by miniatures painted by Jean Cotelle the Elder, representing the gardens of Versailles. These three rooms were all wooded at the Capucine, and adorned with the door-tops by

Jean-Baptiste Belin Jean-Baptiste Belin de Fontenay I (1653–1715), also called ‘Jean-Baptiste Belin the Elder’, was a French painter who specialized in flowers. Life and work He was born in Caen, France in 1653 and died in Paris in 1715. Early in life he was ...

Chambre monseigneur petit appartement frais

gouache Gouache (; ), body color, or opaque watercolor is a water-medium paint consisting of natural pigment, water, a binding agent (usually gum arabic or dextrin), and sometimes additional inert material. Gouache is designed to be opaque. Gouache ...