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| copyright CMN/ Didier Plowy |
The chateau itself was built in the 14th century and its exterior still has a medieval castle look. The chateau and domaine were maintained and expanded by the d'Angennes family until the end of the seventeenth century. King Francois I, a great hunter who often stayed at the castle for that reason, died there in 1547.
The French style garden with its symmetrical flowerbeds was installed by Joseph Fleuriau d'Armenonville after he acquired the chateau in 1699. His ownership with relatively short. He was pressured into selling the estate to the Count of Toulouse (Louis XIV and Madame de Montespan's illegitimate son). The Duke of Penthievre inherited the domain from his father and put in the English garden and a number of fabriques, imaginative garden structures inspired by exotic places or antiquity. The chaumiere a coquillages, a little thatched hut with walls encrusted with various types of shells, was built at that time.
Penthievre sold the property to Louis XVI in 1783, who coveted it for its convenient distance from prized hunting grounds. Marie-Antoinette detested the chateau that she called "gothic" so Louis XVI, after deciding not to rebuild it completely, redecorated her apartments according to her wishes, and installed the laiterie an extravagant fabrique in which guests could taste the various milks produced by a sheep farm built according to the king's wishes. The sheep farm still exists and houses descendants of the original sheep brought to the farm by Louis XVI. You can also visit the laiterie during your tour of the gardens.
After the Revolution, the chateau passed back and forth between the various competing heads of state and became a presidential residence in the 1880s. It was used to house presidents and world leaders during their diplomatic visits through 2009.
All of these layers of decorative schemes, makes the domain an excellent place to visit, either for a day trip with a picnic or for a weekend or week-long getaway an easy distance from Paris. The gardens are large, the forest is even larger - and includes a great and easy bike path from Rambouillet to a sweet and stately little village called Montfort-l'Amaury. (I tried the path out last summer and had an excellent time, although the path to Montfort was a little difficult to discern. I found myself tossing a coin to decide which direction to take at many forks in the road.)
On June 29 and 30, pianist Anne Queffelec will play a repertoire of Satie, Poulenc, Debussy and Ravel at the chateau, part of a series of concerts organized in 11 monuments under the direction of the Centre des Monuments Nationaux.
So, if you are a nature lover, a history buff, enjoy outdoor activities or if you are just looking for a break from the pollution in the capital, Rambouillet is definitely a spot to consider.
Next week we'll go to Versailles to celebrate the mois de Moliere in the potager du roi (the king's vegetable garden). My two favorite things to do in Versailles.
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