Castle of Be worth-the-Viscount

The castle of Be worth-the-Viscount , located on the territory of the common Frenchwoman of Maincy (Seine-et-Marne), to 50 km in the south east of Paris close to Melun is a castle of style Classique of the 17th century (1658 - 1661), built for the Surintendant of finances of Louis XIV, Nicolas Fouquet. This last called upon the best artists of the time to build his palate: the architect Louis Vau, the painter Charles Le Brun and the landscape designer Andre Ours. Their talent will be used Louis XIV for construction as sound Château of Versailles after the arrest of Fouquet.

The castle is today the largest private property classified under the historic buildings, chief of French work of art of the 17th century.

Introduction

Nicolas Fouquet

The site

When Fouquet acquires Be worth-the-Viscount, the field is divided into two parts: a Castle and a firm .

the castle is surrounded by walls and ditches filled with running water. It is connected to the way connecting Are worth-the-Pénil with Sivry-Courtry by a Pont-levis.
the farm is located behind the home, to which it is connected by another drawbridge. It is composed of two parts:

in the Northern part is a press, a stable and a cattle shed;
the Southern part includes/understands the main building, a barn and a sheep-fold.

The farm and the castle are not located at the exact site of the current castle. The territory where Be worth-the-Viscount will be built is crossed by two rivers which are cut to right angle. One of them is Anqueil whose bed is with the site of current Grand Channel. The ground was timbered little, contrary to today.

Stages of the building site

Construction progresses quickly, but it requires the destruction of several houses and the levelling of the hills. Of 1653 with 1654, the first work of water conveyance are carried out in the park as well as the lengthening of the large floor. In 1655, the park is entirely enclosed. The small channel, the fountains, some floors of flowers and the large alley in terrace are carried out in the park of the castle. In 1656, the architect Daniel Gittard completes the foundations of the castle. The August 2nd 1656, the market is concluded in the fields of the castle.
Be worth-the-Viscount is built out of white stone of Creil while the dependences and the commun runs are arranged out of brick. The masonry of the castle is finished and it frame is posed in 1657. The roof will be completed in 1658. Consequently, interior installation can start.

As of September 1658, the painter Charles Le Brun settles in the castle. This one receives the visit of the cardinal Mazarin the June 25th 1659, of Louis XIV, Mr Philippe de France his brother and of the Reine Anne mother of Austria the July 14th. The July 10th 1660, the king and his wife the Marie-Therese queen of Austria stop there. The Master of the places liked to receive the great minds of his time such as Madeleine de Scudéry, Paul Pélisson or Jean of the Fountain. The July 12th 1661, Fouquet gives a festival in the honor of the queen mother of England Henriette de France and, the August 17th, another in the honor of Louis XIV.

This festival organized by François Vatel was of a great splendor: spectacles using the most advanced techniques moment, representations of plays (whose the Annoying of Molière) and Fireworks S, was in particular with the program of rejoicings. All these sumptuous festivities returned Louis XIV however even more jealous and suspicieux. It is after this festival, the September 5th, that the king orders his arrest. The imprisonment of Fouquet cannot nevertheless not be charged to this only festival, this decision having been taken several months before.

The castle

General organization

The castle is located on a rectangular platform surrounded by ditches filled with water. It occupies the Southern part of this platform. Two Pont-levis connected the home to the remainder of the garden. The wings almost do not exist, this type of architecture having disappeared during first half of the 17th century. The castle comprises a central body with three fore-parts side court and a rotunda side garden. There are 4 house S, 2 of form square side garden, and 2 others of rectangular form side court. Seen laterally, they however seem twin, which constitutes a tradition of French architecture. The open character of the building and the massed plan are characteristic of the time.

There is however an innovation. Indeed, the French castle comprises usually only one continuation of parts going from one end to another of the building (element). With Be worth-the-Viscount, the architect showed innovation by organizing interior space by a double row of parallel parts with aligned doors (double body). This type of organization of a building was already employed by Louis Vau with the Tambonneau hotel in 1640 and by François Mansart with the hotel of Gander in 1648, but it is only with Be worth-the-Viscount that it starts to be applied to a castle. The rotunda (living room) which does not understand that only one part is another originality. The unit formed by the hall and the living room forms a central trench around which 2 autonomous parts revolve having each one a staircase. In the ground floor, side garden are two apartments, one intended for the king, on the left, and the other with Nicolas Fouquet, on the right. The parts of the ground floor side court are, in 1661, of the rooms supplementing the two apartments side garden. Is there a part being used as dining room, a part appeared in France in the middle of the 17th century. However, Vau did not know to exploit the innovation that constituted the double body, because it does not seem to find of convincing destination to the part of the ground floor side court.

The basement is partly buried, which allows the installation of a massed plan. A longitudinal corridor crosses the basement, made up of kitchens, offices and rooms of officers. The kitchen is contrary to the dining room, but communicates with the dresser of the ground floor thanks to the longitudinal corridor. Two side corridors are added in 1659 on order of Vatel then main of hotel of Nicolas Fouquet.

On the first floor is also a longitudinal corridor. At the place which, to the ground floor, corresponds to the hall, was at the time of Nicolas Fouquet a Chapelle (side court). On the left are, side court, the apartment of Fouquet, and side garden, that of its wife. They are composed of an anteroom, a room and a cabinet. Currently the room of Mrs. Fouquet is divided into two parts: a cabinet Louis XV and one room Louis XV. The right part of the first stage only is summarily worked.

Detail

At the ground floor.

The oval living room (or “Large Living room”) of Be worth-the-Viscount is a single part in the history of French architecture. Its originality comes from its oval, unusual form at the time for a room of reception. It extends on two levels and is covered with curves, which is characteristic of Italian architecture. The oval vessel ahead body which constitutes the oval Living room is a French invention. It makes it possible to accommodate the festivals of Are worth and to reach the garden. Consequently, it will never be furnished. It is 19 meters long for 14 meters broad and 18 meters in height. The ceiling was to be decorated by the palate with the Sun painted by Charles Le Brun, representing the solar star with the emblem of Nicolas Fouquet, the squirrel. This project will be never carried out. The cupola is supported by 16 Cariatide S carved by François Girardon. Twelve of them carry the Signs of the zodiac and the four others, the symbols of the four Saison S. the ground consists of white stone and slate with in the center a sundial. The part is decorated with four busts of the time of Fouquet representing of the Roman characters: Octavie, sister of Auguste, Britannicus, Octavie, wife of Néron, and Hadrian. Twelve other carved Roman busts with Florence at the 17th century decorate the part.
The parts of the ground floor, side garden, are also with Voussure S. the living room of Hercules, anteroom of the apartment of Fouquet, comprises a ceiling on which is painted a scene representing a Hercules accommodated by the Olympe. The medallions and the panels decorating the curve represent 12 work of Hercules. The whole is of Brown the.

The room of the Muses (room of Fouquet) has a ceiling and a curve of Brown the representing the triumph of Fidelity, allusion of the fidelity of Nicolas Fouquet to the king lasting the Fronde. Eight Muses, are distributed in the four corners of the curve. Figures located between the Muses represent the poetic kinds. In the middle of the sides the figures of the Nobility and Peace are, as well as a victory of the Muses over the Satyre S. the curve evokes the Mécénat Nicolas Fouquet. The walls are covered by a skirting of support and tapestries. The part also includes/understands a alcove with a ceiling of Brown the representing the Night. Presence of one chimney to the Roman who, contrary to the chimneys with the Frenchwoman, leaves only little the walls. The small cabinet of the plays (cabinet of Fouquet) comprises a ceiling of Brown the representing the Sleep. The curve and the skirting are decorated of a decoration comprising various animals. An ice, present in the part, is not origin.
The anteroom of the king is unfinished. It is marked by the alternation of paintings and reliefs: the central oval of the ceiling includes/understands a painting of the XVIIIe century, because the project of Brown the, unknown, was not carried out. In the center of the Voussure S four paintings are: Diane exposing itself after hunting, the Love and the Lightning, imploring Achille Venus to return the Shield to him that Love to concealed to him, the Love and a vine stock. The library dates from the 18th century. The angles of the curves comprise the figures of Fouquet. The room of the king is also unfinished. With the angles of the curve are winged figures, with the ceiling a painting of the Truth supported by Time is, and in the glasses Abundance, the Value, Vigilance and the Power are represented. Léda, Diane, of the riders, and the Parques are present in octagonal medallions. The Alcôve of the room is not completed, because the ceiling is not painted. The cabinet of the king is him also unfinished, the ceiling not being painted.

The dining room was used for the meals. It comprises a ceiling out of box, characteristic of French architecture. Each box accommodates a table. 4 are in rectangular compartments, and represent Apollon (fire), Diane (air), Flore or Ceres (Earth) and of the Tritons and Naïades (water). In the octagonal compartments of the ceiling are each season. At the center of the ceiling Peace is bringing back abundance, of Charles Le Brun, allusion to the Peace of the Pyrenees (1659). The 8 circular or octagonal medals with the top of the doors tell the history of Io. The arcade giving on the dresser comprises trophies of the war and peace. The ice does not go back to Fouquet. The square room would have belonged to the apartment of Fouquet. In 1661, six tapestries made starting from paperboards of Charles Le Brun hung under a table showing the head office of Freiburg ordered by the Marshal of Villars.

1st stage.

The room of the apartment of Nicolas Fouquet is the only part of the first stage to have preserved its decoration of origin. The ceilings of the part and the Alcôve are decorated of a horn the eye in form of cupola. The apartment of Mrs. Fouquet was entirely composed of ices and included/understood an anteroom, a room and a cabinet. The room and the anteroom were entirely altered at the XVIIIe century. The cabinet contains with the ceiling an oval comprising a painting representing the sky. The Blason of the wife of Fouquet appears in the angles.

The park

History

In 1653 - 1654, Nicolas Fouquet load Andre Ours to modify the preexistent garden.

The building site starts with work of water conveyance and with the drain of a river. The floor of the crown is lengthened making its various parts dissymmetrical. In 1655 the three floors located in front of the castle are increased and reorganized. In 1655 - 1656, Poussin is called to work with the decoration of the garden. The terms are under development in Italy. In 1656 begins construction from the castle. In 1656 - 1657, Daniel Gittard continues work. The square basin and the central alley are then arranged, while the construction of the water grid is completed. In 1658 - 1660 the cascade is built. Work takes place with the site of current the large channel, the caves are carved. In 1660 - 1661, the terms of the grid of entry are carved by the workmen of the castle.

Very following the arrest of the owner the September 5th 1661 stops. During the lawsuit the field is not degraded. It is in 1684 that Louis-Nicolas Fouquet, wire of Nicolas Fouquet, receives the castle by a donation of his mother. It continues in the gardens the work undertaken by his father. To this time go back the plantation from the avenue leading to the field, like that of the hemicycle of entry, the thicket of the leg of goose and most of the park. The owner dies in 1705. His/her mother sells Be worth-the-Viscount to the Marshal of Villars.

Under the family of Villars, the court and the floors of embroidery are covered with grass, the cascade and the grid of water is degraded. In 1764, the duke of Praslin repurchases the castle. Under the Praslin family a picturesque garden is built in the North of the entry of the castle.

Into 1810 the duke Charles de Choiseul-Praslin transforms the park into garden with English: the alleys of the park are narrowed, the basins and terraces are covered with ground, except the large channel, and the floors are replaced by lawns with irregular contours.

In 1842 the duke Charles Laure Hugues Théobald and his wife born Francoise Altéria Rosalba Sébastiani of Porta undertake a first restoration of the park: the hydraulic floors, terraces and works are updated. But the building site ceases in 1847 after on August 17th the Duke stabbed his wife in their apartment of the hotel Sébastiani Rue of the Suburb Saint-Honore. In 1875 Alfred Sommier, industrialist, buy the castle. The restoration is carried out of 1875 with 1893 by the architect Gabriel-Hippolyte Destailleur, assisted by Elie Lainé. The basins are restored, as well as the caves and the cascades. Statues are established in the garden. However the floors are ignored and remain with the state of lawn.

In 1911, Edme Diagrid, successor of Alfred Sommier, load Alfred Duchêne to complete the restoration of the garden. This one restores the side floors of the home, the floors of embroidery, the central floor and the floor of flowers. Work of the floor of embroidery and the floor of flowers is completed only in 1923. Since, the surroundings of the bridge of Mount and the higher terrace of the floor of flowers were deforested to restore the provisions of the 17th century. The castle is today the property of the Count Patrice Of Vogue, which accepted it in wedding gift of its grandfather Edme Sommier.

Description

The gardens located at the south of the palate are remarkable by their dimensions and their style. The cut trees, the basins, the statues and the be ordered well make of it a garden with the Frenchwoman. To draw them, its originator, Ours, use the visual effects and the laws of the perspective . The red of the embroideries and the floors is obtained by crushing brick.

The arrived at the castle is done by a bilateral alignment of 257 Platane S. the two lines of trees are very close to the roadway since they are distant from only six meters. With the size of the barrels of the trees, that causes an impressive tunnel effect. This alignment 1400 meters is long; it is classified historic building.

The garden is composed of three parts:

the first includes/understands a court and a forecourt;
the second share of the castle and stops with the small channels;
finally, the third part consists of what is located beyond the small channels.

The garden is marked by a slowed down perspective : the further away the elements of the garden are from the castle, the higher they are long or. Thus, the floor of embroidery is three times smaller than the floor of grass located at the end of the garden. In the same way, the square basin is eight times larger than the water round. The sculptures close to the castle are three times less high than the terms of the caves. This process makes it possible to crush the prospect, to make the garden smaller than it is not actually. This process is used in France as of the years 1630, but Ours amplifies it.

The forecourt is separated from the road by a made whole of grids and terms. Two gates located on the grid are not used as entry, because it is by the central grid, more modest, than one can reach the park. The grid is equipped with eight surmounted pillars of busts with double face of Greek Gods, faunas and allegories of the seasons. These sculptures echo the terms located in the cave of the garden. The terms are used in outside starting from antiquity, and are placed in the gardens as from the 16th century. Currently 12 of them are with the Château of Versailles. The fence makes it possible to see well not only the castle but also, the living room was closed only grids, the prospect crossing it which leads to the bottom of the garden.

The garden which extends starting from the castle composes of terraces with floors and nothing, except the vegetable cones of which the height increased at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, comes to disturb dominant horizontal garden. The floors of embroidery, which are closest to the castle were regarded at the time of Fouquet as the noblest ornament of a garden. Its first use goes back to 1595 for the Château of Saint-Germain-in-Bush hammer. The actual position of the embroideries is a reconstitution of the 20th century, more or less faithful: the rinceaux ones were finer, of yellow sand contrasted with coal fine gravels, and them edges of the floors were finer. On the right floors of embroidery is a floor of flowers which is excentré. André Ours preferred the grass, less prone to the seasons. The actual position is recent, the floor having been covered with grass then flowered again. The floor of the crown, on the left, comprises a gilded crown located at the center of a basin, in homage to the king whose room of the ground floor is also located him in the left part of the park. These two floors are dissymmetrical compared to the central axis of the garden.

In the South of this unit is a transverse axis. On its left is the water grid, whose name comes from water jets in the shape of grid. On the other hand, with the right-hand side of the central axis, a true grid is having to give on a kitchen garden that Ours did not have time to complete. A third transverse axis separates the cave from the gardens. This presence of transverse axes cutting a longitudinal axis allows Ours to confer a certain dynamism on the composition of the park, thus breaking with the gardens of the Renaissance, ordered with a perfect symmetry.

The castle is reflected in the square basin, although they are located at 500 meters one of the other. It is for the large channel that Ours does the most work. Seen castle, the cave seems to be located just after the large basin. However between these two elements is the large channel, length 875 meters and broad of 35. Indeed, Ours created a unevenness masking the channel with the eyes of the visitor, to appear only with its approach.

The cave located beyond the large channel is due to the work of Ours which conceived it, and of the Brown one which drew the sculptures. The caves are appreciated since the Renaissance. With Be worth-the-Viscount, the originality of the cave is due to the fact that its frontage has a plane surface, whereas traditionally it has the shape of cave. It presents traditional elements like the Bossage and the terms, but these characters are moderated by their adaptation to the ground. Vis-a-vis the cave the cascades, invisible are since the castle. This type of architecture is recent in France and date of first half of the 17th century. The cave is mainly out of rough stone. The sculptures were drawn by Charles Le Brun and were carried out by Matthieu Lespangnel. The statues on the sides of the cave represent the the Tiber and Anqueil. Eight Telamones frame 7 niches comprise artificial rocks. Sight by far the cave seems made out of stones hardly worked, and the niches seem to shelter very worked sculptures. But of near, it is the opposite. The cave is framed staircases, slopes and terraces.

With the feet of the staircases 4 sculptures are dating from the 19th century but who were envisaged at the time of Nicolas Fouquet. The statue of Hercules at the bottom of the garden is recent (end of the 19th century). It constitutes an allusion to Nicolas Fouquet who places himself thus in the line of a mythological character who passes for a benefactor of Humanity.

Anecdotes

the castle accommodated July 6th and 7th 2007 the marriage of the American actress Eva Longoria and Tony Parker, the French basketball player.
the castle was used as decoration with several films:

the film Grooms of the year two (1971).
the film delusions of grandeur (1971).
the film James Bond: Moonraker (1979).
the film Valmont (1989).
the film the Girl of Artagnan (1994).
the film the Alley of the king (1995).
the Ridiculous film (1997).
the film the man with the iron mask (1997).
the film visitors II (1998).
the film the king dances (2000).
the film Vatel (2000).
the film the pact of the wolves (2001).
the film Vidocq (2001).
the film the Nobs (2006).
the film Marie Antoinette (2006).
the film Jean of the Fountain (2007).
the film Molière (2007).

the philosopher and writer Voltaire remained with the castle at the 18th century.

Photographs

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