Let me take you back to my old area and more on the town of Marly le Roi, in the Yvelines dept 78 of the île de France region of my belle France. This is heaven ,history, architecture and good views all over. I have seen a lot but just touching the surface, there is so much more to see in my belle France! I like to tell you about a walk, promenade, that became a museum, and about impressionists painters, some of the best all in one area. I passed by them often and always a pleasure. Not to mention walked these places of history and beautiful quant villages/towns. You can come in public transport but me think difficult best by car , take out of Paris the A13,autoroute de Normandie dir Rouen but get out at exit/sortie n°6 – Saint-Germain-en-Laye ,then take the RN 186 dir Marly le Roi passed the trafic circle Grille Royale continue until the second trafic circle bassin de l’Abreuvoir , and the museum is on your left ,Therefore, here is my take on the musée du Domaine Royal de Marly !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
You will walked/visit the national domain of Marly-le-Roi , even if today there is nothing left of the castle of the time, pavilions and basins built for king Louis XIV, (thanks to the French revolution) , the estate retains a royal charm with its many aisles, its statues and the remains of the old buildings. You can visit the musée du Domaine royal de Marly, The museum traces and illustrates, with the help of an interactive model of the estate and its fine arts collections , archaeology and decorative arts, the splendour of the ancient residence of the Sun King. Models and technical objects present the famous machine of Marly, admirable hydraulic prowess, built under king Louis XIV to supply water to the fountains of Marly and Versailles. A room is dedicated to the favorite of king Louis XV, Madame du Barry, and to Madame Vigée Lebrun, portraitist of Marie-Antoinette, both residents of Louveciennes. The museum regularly offers temporary exhibitions, animations, guided tours, lectures, concerts…etc. Several entry points to the domain, I give you them all ! The Porte du Bourg, avenue des Combattants,by the road D7, Pedestrian and car parking route de Bacchus, The Porte du Roi, avenue des Combattants by the road D7 only pedestrian entry The Porte du Cœur-Volant, côte du Cœur-Volant, by the road D386 (continuation of N186), pedestrian, The Grille Royale, route de Marly by the road D386, pedestrian and car parking of the musée du Domaine royal de Marly, The Chemin des Deux-Portes , route de Versailles on Louveciennes by the road N186, and the Porte du stade , route de Saint-Cyr, Chemin des 2 Portes,by the road D7 facing the stadium or stade François-Henri de Virieu.
The Chevaux de Marly or Horses of Marly are two sculpted groups representing rearing horses and their grooms. Made of Carrara marble, they were commissioned in 1739 by Louis XV and executed between 1743 and 1745 by Guillaume Coustou. In 1794, they were transferred to the Place de la Concorde. In 1984, they were replaced by copies in reconstituted marble. The originals are kept at the Louvre Museum, in a former courtyard of the Richelieu wing transformed into a patio, called the Cour Marly.
The garden constantly evolved according to the sovereign’s whims and fancies. Numerous plans attest to completed or merely incipient development projects. Nearly 150 statues enlivened the gardens, inspired by mythology, exalting the pastoral and hunting character of this residence. Louis XIV’s dream is embodied in the Rivière or River, a waterfall or 52-step staircase, created in 1697 and modified in 1703. The Perspective of the Pavilion from the outset, the pavilion housed offices, including vast kitchens, a pastry shop, a storage room, a wing dedicated to the King’s Goblet, and accommodation for the Swiss guards,
The Grande Pièce d’Eau or Grand Miroir, the park’s main pond, is one of the last vestiges of the “intimate” domain of Louis XIV, who had a dozen pavilions built on either side of the lake to receive his guests. This hunting lodge was also a “water palace”: the garden’s fountains were powered by the Marly machine, then considered the “8th wonder of the world.” The tour reveals the secrets of how this machine, a gigantic wooden mechanism, pumped water from the Seine and transported it almost two kilometers away to supply the gardens of Marly and then Versailles. A technical feat like no other!
The tour concludes by exploring the estate’s history, from the death of Louis XIV in 1715 to the present day. The rest of the tour is devoted to the intimate atmosphere of Marly, its unique art of living, its customs, and the great historical figures who left their mark on the site, such as the Dauphin, the Princess Palatine, Madame de Maintenon, and the Duke of Orléans. The works on display bear witness to Marly’s evolution: furniture and paintings installed under Louis XV, views of the estate created by Rigaud around 1730, and models of Marly’s successive machines. A section is also dedicated to Louis XV’s mistress, Madame Du Barry, to whom he gifted a pavilion in Louveciennes. The permanent rooms, completely renovated in 2017-2019, present the history of the Marly estate and machine, from the 17C to the present day. In the basement, they can accommodate, with rearrangements, temporary exhibitions on various subjects.
A bit of history tell us that in 1679, the Sun King (Louis XIV) began construction of the Marly estate. Construction was completed in 1683, leaving an estate consisting of the royal pavilion and 12 adjoining guest pavilions. The 1789 French revolution and the fall of the monarchy led to the estate’s decline. From October 1793, the furniture was sold and the castle dismantled until its complete demolition at the end of the First Empire (Napoléon Ier). After the destruction of the castle and pavilions, the estate gradually fell into neglect. The castle’s works of art and the statues in the park were dispersed. In 1963, the museum was officially created by decision of the Marly-le-Roi municipal council and housed in the former Royal Kennel of the Château de Marly (now occupied by the Marly-le-Roi City/town hall). The development work took five years. The museum was officially inaugurated on May 4, 1968, jointly managed by the Le Vieux Marly association and the cities of Marly-le-Roi and Louveciennes. The Marly museum was therefore once again relocated, since the City/town halls agreed on the construction of a new building to house it, within the Marly estate at its former historic entrance, the Grille Royale. On October 18, 1982, the Musée-Promenade was inaugurated by Jack Lang, Minister of Culture, under the aegis of the two cities, Marly le Roi and Louveciennes, with the support of the association which enriched the collections. Following the renovation carried out from 2017 to 2019, to be in line with its new museum route, the museum changed its name. It became the Musée du Domaine Royal de Marly instead of the Musée Promenade. Since June 1, 2009, the 53 hectares of the Marly National Estate have been placed under the responsibility of the Public Establishment of the Palace, Museum, and National Estate of Versailles. The remaining 44 hectares of the park are managed by the National Forestry Office.
The official musée du domaine royal de Marly : https://musee-domaine-marly.fr/
The city of Marly le Roi on the museum : https://www.marlyleroi.fr/Mus%c3%a9e-du-Domaine-royal-de-Marly/471/
The Seine St Germain en Laye tourist office on the Royal Domaine museum of Marly le Roi : https://www.seine-saintgermain.fr/en/file/760663/musee-du-domaine-royal-de-marly/
The Association Friends of the Domaine de Marly to keep it and improve it nicely for the future : https://www.amis-domaine-marly.fr/
There you folks, there is a lot more to see than castles here, and you should enjoy it all surrounded by lush surrounding in noble French traditions. Marly le Roi is a chic nice place to stroll and see the wonders of my belle France, Again, hope you enjoy the post on the musée du Domaine royal de Marly !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 