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 ,the dining room and kitchen as I.
You take a stone stairs down to the basement. The plans of Le Vau indicate the use of each room, sommelier for the fruits, kitchen for the extraordinary, room of the expense, room for the officer, room for the common room for the officers, One of this room was taken to house the monumental archive of the Duke of Villars that were employed at the head of the king’s army made him obligated to keep these documents, These archieves are still for the most part kept in the castle by the Marquis de Vogüé. The big kitchen was change in 1875 and in service until 1956, Here cook François Vatel that after the arrestation of Fouquet went over to the Château de Chantilly (and you know the cream).
The vast rooms in the raised basement whose architecture has not been modified for three centuries and which were in use until 1956 ; these are the Salle des Plans or Room of maps, Archives, Dresser, Room of Staff, Large Wine Cellar , and kitchen, You then reach the south terrace of the castle from where a remarkable view extends over the French style gardens.
The dining room has a coffered ceiling, characteristic of French architecture. Each coffer receives a painting; four, inscribed in rectangular compartments and represent Apollo (fire), Diana (air), Flora or Ceres (earth) and Tritons and naiads (water). In the octagonal compartments of the ceiling are each of the seasons. In the center of the ceiling is Charles Le Brun’s La Paix bringing Abundance, an allusion to the Peace of the Pyrenees (1659).
The Salle des Buffets, probably the dining room of Fouquet has sobriety and beauty, The ceiling is La Paix ramenant l’Abondance an illusion to the peace of the Pyrénées of 1659, Around it the four elements painted in golden monochrome such as Apollo on the chariot of the sun, or the fire, the tritons and the naiads or the water, flora which spreads flowers or the earth, Diana riding the clouds or the air, and in gray shades the Four Seasons.
The official Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte: https://vaux-le-vicomte.com/en/
The Seine et Marne dept 77 tourist office on the castle: https://www.seineetmarnevivreengrand.fr/explorer/676128/
The town of Maincy on its heritage/castle: https://www.maincy.fr/patrimoine/
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 dining room , buffet, kitchen, all basement is awesome as well like no time is enough here,,,Again, hope you enjoy the post on the Château Vaux Le Vicomte, the dining room and kitchen as I
And remember, happy travels, good health,and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 