Twice a year in May and October, Château de Chantilly celebrates new plants and International nurseries. An dualist week, Prince AmYn Aga Khan and Hélène Fustier were running around the park in their electric cart congratulating the prize winners of the season. Among whom, Belgian grower Damien Devos, won with a beautiful dark red peony and was exhibiting delightful calycanthus Aphrodite, … Read More
Happy May First! and lots of lily of the valley.
I don’t know if in your country, you can find and pick lily of the valley, but all around France, we celebrate “Labor Day” on May 1st and anyone can sell these flowers as long as they are away from a flower shop. It traditionally helped communist party members to raise money, now it is just a lovely way to … Read More
Fontainebleau celebrates Art history, on June 7-9
The 9 th Festival of art history is taking place at Château de Fontainebleau, an hour south of Paris, and this year the theme is “The people”. Instigated by Pierre Rosenberg, the three day event brings together art historians, curators, museum directors, artists and publishers and this edition is dedicated to five Northern countries, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The … Read More
Château de Chantilly is in full swing !
Château de Chantilly is going through fascinating times and the official inauguration of the Petits appartements was a true family event with very prestigious good fairies. First, the new director of the Foundation, Fériel Fodil, is a beautiful young woman who worked on the Louvre Abu Dhabi for eight years and she conducted the ceremony with authority and great charm. … Read More
Exceptional orchids at Jardin des Plantes
Jardin des Plantes is a destination which is often underused and until March 11 th, the 7 th Festival of orchids is taking place in the Grandes Serres. Four institutions are represented here and four commercial shops have a booth where you can buy your own very special plant. There are 600 species at the Museum and you will … Read More
Leonardo da Vinci, five hundred years later in the Loire valley
1519 is the year when Leonardo da Vinci died on May 2, at château du Clos Lucé near Amboise. He had been called to the court of France at 65 and had brought paintings, writings, drawings and projects for new inventions. It is the year when Château de Chambord was built and the year Catherine de Medicis was born in … Read More
At Château d’Ecouen, witness the birth of Renaissance theatre
The birth of theater in the French Renaissance can only be tracked down thanks to writings and a few sketches of religious “Mysteries” played outdoors. Many representations in markets and other public places were linked to stages of Christ’s passion. These were set in different cities like Bourges in 1536, Valenciennes in 1547, Troyes, Chateaudun or Romans, which were very … Read More
At Malmaison, furniture has its secrets
Château de la Malmaison is the small but very refined house where Joséphine Bonaparte retired when the emperor divorced her in 1809. She had acquired the house in 1799 and redecorated it with the help of architects Percier and Fontaine. It is full of charm, drama and its impeccable decor illustrates a little bit of the huge luxury with which … Read More