Archive for May 17th, 2023

May 17, 2023

Château Vaux le Vicomte, muses and games !!!

This is awesome, another reason to visit my belle France, in all its splendeurs! A must to visit indeed.  Another wonderful memory of my dear late wife Martine, and I traveling in her native department the beauty is amazing. We came here the second year after marriage in 1992 and have been coming here regularly in our visits from the USA, and ,then, while living in France. This is a wonderful story and a beautiful castle still in private hands ! Do see my other posts on the castle in my blog, as this will be short and sassy with new pictures ,even if some repeated text.This is all from our latest visit this week. A reminder, the Château Vaux le Vicomte is in the village of Maincy, Seine et Marne dept 77 of the Île de France region, of my belle France.  Hope you enjoy again the sublime Château Vaux le Vicomte ,muses and games as I.

The Chambre des Muses was the bedroom of Nicolas Fouquet; it owes its name to the 9 Muses which animate the admirable ceiling imagined by Charles Le Brun whose central work is an oil on 4 x 4 meters octagonal canvas, Le Triomphe de La Fidélité, echoing the fidelity of Nicolas Fouquet to Louis XIV during the Fronde uprisings. We discover Clio, Muse of History and Fame, in the company of Prudence and Loyalty, and at the corner of the arches, the other eight muses, two by two: Euterpe, Music; Calliope, Epic Poetry; Terpsichore, Dance; Melpomene, the Tragedy; Thalie, the Comedy; Erato, Lyric Poetry; Polymnia, Painting; Urania, and Astronomy. On each side of the chairs, a pair of dressers called “Mazarines” by Boulle. On these chests of drawers, two 17C Chinese sandstone hawks with gilt bronze mount from the 18C. On the ceiling you have an Apollo with the lighs of the world and around the above description of the muses. It is me think one of the most beautiful in the castle, This lounge was the get together room of the marshal and duchesse Villars and where Louis XV and queen Marie Leczinska were welcome,It was here in July 12 1661 that Moliére interpret l’école de Maris in front of the invited persons such as Henriette de France, queen of England, and her daughter Henriette of England, duchess of Orléans, On each side of the room you see the bust of Le Nôtre by the alcove side, and of Charles le Brun by the windows side

Vaux le Vicomte castle chambre des muses may23

The Cabinet des Jeux  or games room in the street level of the castle or first floor, Flowers guirlandes, love and painted with finisse, in the center of the celing Le Brun represent Sommeil (sleep) the best of the painter, Leaving this room you see in line 7 state rooms that shows the taste of Fouquet for the refinement and beauty The petit cabinet des jeux or small games room, which was Fouquet’s, has a ceiling by Le Brun depicting Sleep. The arch and the paneling are decorated with a decoration featuring various animals.

Vaux le Vicomte castle cabinet des jeux 1 may23

Vaux le Vicomte castle cabinet des jeux 2 may23

The official Château de Vaux-le-Vicomtehttps://vaux-le-vicomte.com/en/

The town of Maincy on its heritage/castlehttps://www.maincy.fr/patrimoine/

The Seine et Marne dept 77 tourist office on the castle: https://www.seineetmarnevivreengrand.fr/explorer/676128/

There you go folks, another dandy road warrior trip this time only with my 3 young men and dog Rex , less but nevertheless, a wonderfully trip down memory lane in Seine et Marne, dept 77. The Château Vaux le Vicomte have written plenty on it in my blog but , never enough on this marvel of our belle France ; of course I am friend of the castle since 2004 and have come more times that I write about it as many in our official visits pictures are not allowed, You must come here to the Château de Vaux le Vicomte and enjoy the wonders of my Seine et Marne, The gardens are just gorgeous and merit philosophical time on them forever,,,Again, hope you enjoy the post on the Château Vaux Le Vicomte , muses and games as I

And remember, happy travels, good health,and many cheers to all !!!

Tags: ,
May 17, 2023

Château Vaux le Vicomte and the Fouquet’s !!!

This is awesome, another reason to visit my belle France, in all its splendeurs! A must to visit indeed.  Another wonderful memory of my dear late wife Martine, and I traveling in her native department the beauty is amazing. We came here the second year after marriage in 1992 and have been coming here regularly in our visits from the USA, and ,then, while living in France. This is a wonderful story and a beautiful castle still in private hands ! Do see my other posts on the castle in my blog, as this will be short and sassy with new pictures ,even if some repeated text.This is all from our latest visit this week. A reminder, the Château Vaux le Vicomte is in the village of Maincy, Seine et Marne dept 77 of the Île de France region, of my belle France.  Hope you enjoy again the sublime Château Vaux le Vicomte and the Fouquet’s as I.

Vaux le Vicomte castle working room may23

On the 1st floor (2nd fl), you have the bedroom in Fouquet’s apartment is the only room on the first floor to have retained its original decor. The ceilings of the room and the alcove are decorated with a dome-shaped trompe-l’oeil. Madame Fouquet’s apartment was entirely made up of mirrors and included an antechamber, a bedroom and a study. The chamber and the antechamber were completely remodeled in the 18C. The cabinet contains an oval ceiling with a painting representing the sky; Madame Fouquet’s coat of arms appears in the corners.

Vaux le Vicomte castle Mme Fouquet sitting room may23

The west and east wings are the small apartments that lived Nicolas Fouquet and Madame Fouquet, which later in the 18C became the guest rooms of Villars and Choiseuil-Praslin.  On the grand hallway you see illustrations of the life of Fouquet and the castle Vaux le Vicomte, A general view of Rome reminds of the importance of Rome in the 17C on the artists, You arrive at the Salon d’Hercule, the antichamber of Fouquet’s apartment, is decorated with a ceiling painted with a scene representing a Hercules welcomed by Olympus. The medallions and panels adorning the arch represent the twelve labors of Hercules by Le Brun. Here he received his guest and several portraits such as my favorite David and Bathsheba by Paolo Veronese, At the center of the antichamber you see the big desk aka Mazarin with wood and filet of golden copper, a poem songe d’Adonis (dream of) by Jean de La Fontaine, and above the desk a portrait by Antonio Moro, Nain du Cardinal de Granvelle,(Dwarf of).

Vaux le Vicomte castle Nicolas Fouquet cabinet may23

Vaux le Vicomte castle Nicolas Fouquet cabinet 2 may23

Vaux le Vicomte castle Nicolas Fouquet cabinet 3 may23

We go on to the bedroom of Fouquet, The decoration has been respected since built by Fouquet and others so intact ! The ceiling is done by Le Brun, The principal part is Apolo shown the light of the world and at each corner a medallion with a goddess Olimpia, Jupiter, Juno, Neptune and Cybele, the central oval shown four scenes mythologics such as Diana and Actaeon,Diana and Calypso, Apollo and Marsyas, and Apollo and the Serpent Python, The walls have tapestries of Mois Lucas these were destroyed to use their gold but some copies survived and were redone by 1715, those shown now were done at the Gobelins factory on orders of the Count of Toulouse son of Louis XIV, On top of the chimney you see a portrait by Charles le Brun, « L’Amour fixé or La Beauté coupant les ailes de l’Amour pour qu’il demeure toujours auprés d’elle «  or Love fixed or Beauty clipping the wings of Love so that he may always remain with her , with traits of Marie Madeleine of Castille that Nicolas Fouquet had second married in 1651,

Vaux le Vicomte castle Mme Fouquet bedroom may23

Vaux le Vicomte castle Mme Fouquet bedroom ceiling may23

Now the Cabinet of Mme Fouquet by the valet room a door takes you to the cabinet of Madame Fouquet, They were decorated with glass portraits but nothing is left today, On top of the chimney you see a portrait of Nicolas Fouquet done by Charles le Brun during the construction of the castle,There is a nice cabinet in lacquer of Japan closed at the time diamonds, jewerly and gold coins were kept.

Vaux le Vicomte castle Mme Fouquet sitting room 2 may23

Vaux le Vicomte castle Mme Fouquet cabinet may23

The official Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte: https://vaux-le-vicomte.com/en/

The town of Maincy on its heritage/castlehttps://www.maincy.fr/patrimoine/

The Seine et Marne dept 77 tourist office on the castle: https://www.seineetmarnevivreengrand.fr/explorer/676128/

There you go folks, another dandy road warrior trip this time only with my 3 young men and dog Rex , less but nevertheless, a wonderfully trip down memory lane in Seine et Marne, dept 77. The Château Vaux le Vicomte have written plenty on it in my blog but , never enough on this marvel of our belle France ; of course I am friend of the castle since 2004 and have come more times that I write about it as many in our official visits pictures are not allowed, You must come here to the Château de Vaux le Vicomte and enjoy the wonders of my Seine et Marne, The apartment, bedroom cabinet of Mr and Mrs Fouquet are wonderful and tell the story of their rise and fall; just gorgeous and merit philosophical time on them forever,,,Again, hope you enjoy the post on the Château Vaux Le Vicomte ,and the Fouquet’s as I

And remember, happy travels, good health,and many cheers to all !!!

Tags: ,
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