The castle of Malmaison - Napoleon & Joséphine's castle in Rueil-Malmaison (France)
"Malmaison", which could be translated by "Bad" or even "Evil House" is a strange name for this quiet, pastoral castle in a quiet suburb of Paris. This is not linked to Napoleon's presence here - whatever you may think of Napoleon ^^ - but History says that Norman invaders had their den here, a lond time ago.
The name (Mala Domus, at that time) appears for the firs time in 1244, and a lordly house is mentioned here in the 16th century. We don't know much about the rebuilding of the castle during the 17th or 18th centuries. Before the Revolution, Mme du Molay had her salon in the castle, visited by Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun, Grimm, Bernardin de Saint-Pierre...
But the most famous story begins in 1799, when the place is sold to Josephine Bonaparte, Napoleon's wife, while her husband was in Egypt. She spent a fortune to buy the castle and to restore it. A fortune she had not, of course - Napoleon was furious when he came back, but he paid, as usual, and between 1800 and 1802, french government sat in La Malmaison, before settling in Saint-Cloud (a much larger castle, with a royal history). But the place remained Josephine's favourite house. She kept it after the divorce, and died here in 1814.
Do you recognize the room in the painting ?
The decorative style of the time is clearly not my favourite, but I love the library !
Upstairs rooms
Napoleon's bedroom
Josephine's ceremonial bedroom (she has another "ordinary" one, smaller, lighter and much more simple, close to this one)
The back of the castle
♠ ♠ ♠
The name (Mala Domus, at that time) appears for the firs time in 1244, and a lordly house is mentioned here in the 16th century. We don't know much about the rebuilding of the castle during the 17th or 18th centuries. Before the Revolution, Mme du Molay had her salon in the castle, visited by Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun, Grimm, Bernardin de Saint-Pierre...
But the most famous story begins in 1799, when the place is sold to Josephine Bonaparte, Napoleon's wife, while her husband was in Egypt. She spent a fortune to buy the castle and to restore it. A fortune she had not, of course - Napoleon was furious when he came back, but he paid, as usual, and between 1800 and 1802, french government sat in La Malmaison, before settling in Saint-Cloud (a much larger castle, with a royal history). But the place remained Josephine's favourite house. She kept it after the divorce, and died here in 1814.
Do you recognize the room in the painting ?
The decorative style of the time is clearly not my favourite, but I love the library !
Upstairs rooms
Napoleon's bedroom
Josephine's ceremonial bedroom (she has another "ordinary" one, smaller, lighter and much more simple, close to this one)
The back of the castle
♠ ♠ ♠