The Ch teau de Malmaison is a country house (or ch teau) in the city of Rueil-Malmaison about 12 km (7 mi) from Paris.
History
Josephine de Beauharnais purchased the manor house in April 1799 for herself and her husband, Napoleon I of France, at that time away fighting the Napoleonic Wars. Upon his return Napoleon was furious at Josephine for purchasing such an expensive house with the money she had expected him to bring back from the Egyptian campaign; the house, for which she had spent well over 300,000 francs, was in terrible shape, and she spent a fortune renovating it.
Not the least of the attractions was the famous rose garden. Empress Josephine had the French artist Pierre-Joseph Redout (1759–1840) record her roses (and lilies), and prints of these works sell quite well even today. Josephine was granted Malmaison after her divorce from Napoleon, along with a pension of 5 million francs a year, and remained there until her death in 1814. Napoleon returned and took residence in the house after his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, before his exile to the island of Saint Helena.
Today
Today, the manor house is open to the public as a Napoleonic musee national. There are guided tours. The museum is reached by car on RN 13 (route national 13) from Paris. Public Transport: RER A to "Grande Arche", then bus 258 to stop "Le Ch teau".
External link
Official site (in French) (http://www.chateau-malmaison.fr/)
Josephine de Beauharnais purchased the manor house in April 1799 for herself and her husband, Napoleon I of France, at that time away fighting the Napoleonic Wars.
Josephine was granted Malmaison after her divorce from Napoleon, along with a pension of 5 million francs a year, and remained there until her death in 1814.
Feeds |
Contact