Malmaison France: the story of Napoleon and Josephine

🙂 Greetings to the guests of the site and regular readers! Malmaison, France – This homestead is 20 km away. from Paris. This estate is better known as the private residence of Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine Beauharnais. The happiest days of their marriage life passed here. They were happy here.

If you are in France, do not miss the opportunity to visit this place where you can feel the “smell of centuries”. Almost all of his story – so simple and at the same time incredible – is associated with Josephine. Therefore, the guide, first of all, described her life to us.

The Malmaison castle in the Empire style was founded in 1242. Architect – Pierre Francois Leonard Fontaine.

Napoleon and Josephine

Fate, oddly enough, smiled at this aristocrat during the Terror. When the young Corsican Napoleon Bonaparte issued a decree to disarm the Parisians, a blond boy came to him.

Malets, barely holding back tears, said that his father, the Viscount de Beauharnais, was executed on the guillotine. He asked me to keep his sword as a souvenir. Moved by Napoleon, he had nothing against it.

Meeting the century

Soon the mother of the child came to the general to thank for the mercy. This is how the “meeting of the century” took place. Bonaparte first saw the former Viscountess de Beauharnais, the uncrowned queen of the Parisian salons.

And he could not resist. A beautiful body, a seductive smile, a manner of movement and a charm inherent only to her alone, immediately fascinated him.

Napoleon fell in love like a boy. When Josephine was around, he idolized her. When far away, he sent a messenger for a messenger and confessed his love. Several months passed and they got married.

The official, at the request of Josephine, wrote in the registration book that the bride was 29 and the groom 28. The newly made Madame Bonaparte took three years for herself, and Napoleon added one.

It was this amazing woman who became the lucky “trump card” of the future favorite of the French people. Ultimately, Napoleon was well aware of this.

Already, as emperor, he confessed to his friends: “If I have a remnant of courtesy on the throne, and if you, the French, did not have the most arrogant and most annoying of monarchs, thank Josephine. Her tenderness and affection softened my character and extinguished anger. “

Malmaison

It was during this period that Josephine Bonaparte settled in Malmaison. She was not even stopped by the name, translated from French – “bad house”. The black days of the revolution forced the previous owner of the estate, the wealthy banker Lecult de Molay, to sell it for almost nothing – 325 thousand francs.

Following his wife, Bonaparte also fell in love with Malmaison. His loyal secretary Burien left a note in his memoirs. “When Bonaparte left the Luxembourg Palace or the Tuileries on Saturday evening, his joy knew no bounds!

It could be compared to the emotions of a schoolchild who is on vacation. ” However, Bonaparte had a very peculiar concept of rest. For lunches, according to the guide’s words, he spent no more than 20 minutes a day!

While Josephine arranged noisy receptions, conquering hearts, the husband rested here from blood, battles and campaigns. And also – he worked tirelessly and planned new campaigns. Bonaparte’s favorite apartments are a modest little office-library and a meeting room. Here in 1800-1802. the government of France was in session.

To strengthen the empire, Bonaparte lacked only one – an heir. Napoleon, who always went ahead, fearlessly and decisively, overcoming all obstacles on the way, began to hesitate.

Feelings got in the way of ambitions and political plans. He thought about divorce for almost two years and could not decide on this step. As a result, IT happened, and tear-stained Josephine returned to Malmaison.

However, even having married the Austrian Duchess Marie-Louise, the emperor did not forget his first wife. He often visited Malmaison. But he only met with her in public. As if he was afraid that the old feeling would flare up in his heart again.

Favorite garden

When Napoleon was imprisoned on the Isle of Elba and the Allied infantry entered Paris, Josephine lived in Malmaison. She was left alone with the memories. And also – several hundred luxurious dresses, and her favorite garden of roses, which she planted with her own hands.

Exotics were imported to Malmaison from remote corners of the world: from Egypt, Peru, Japan, and Togo. In the English gardens of Josephine grow Louisiana cypress, blue Egyptian lotus and Japanese lacquer tree – sumac.

But an even greater passion of the ex-empress was roses of a wide variety of varieties. Especially – the Bourbon, or “Souvenir de la Malmaison”. When her favorite violets were not around, Josephine pinned this flower in her hair.

Death of Josephine

In the spring of 1814, 51-year-old Josephine received the Russian Emperor Alexander II. They say that she won his heart. Josephine gave a magnificent ball in honor of the guest and even gave him several dances.

According to legend, walking through the garden arm in arm with the Russian tsar, Josephine caught a cold. Two days later, this legendary woman died out from pneumonia. According to another version – from a sore throat. May 29, 1814 the mistress of Malmaison died.

Talisman of Napoleon

Being at the pinnacle of power, the emperor repeatedly repeated that Josephine was a talisman presented to him by a powerful fortune. Only to her he owes his fantastic elevation. Leaving for exile, the emperor dropped the sad words: “The fact that I left her brought me failure.”

Ironically, after the death of his first wife, fortune finally turned away from Napoleon. During the “Hundred Days” he came to Malmaison, which was inherited by the children of Josephine. And, having crossed the threshold of her boudoir, he stood for several minutes, pensive, near her bed.

The small castle accepted everyone who did not abandon the former emperor in trouble. Relentless fate led him. Ahead was the defeat at Waterloo. On June 29, Napoleon left Malmaison for good.

Apparently, the ex-emperor felt that this was the end. He hoped to find a ship at Rochefort that would send him to America, but met British ships.

After the second abdication of the throne, the great Corsican was sent to Fr. Saint Helena. There he had to spend the last, quietest segment of his adventurous, stormy life. There he died, whispering before his death: “Josephine …” Why is still unknown.

Frozen time

In Malmaison it seems that you are transported two centuries in the past, in that heroic era. Even the hands of antique clocks that used to tell the time to Josephine and Napoleon are still in use. Isn’t it a miracle? The castle contains the throne of Napoleon of Fontainebleau, the bed on which he died, and his death mask.

A sad story is associated with it. This happened after the death of the Corsican, in Parma. His second wife and widow, Austrian Maria-Louise, lived there. Once the court doctor found the servants’ children playing with some strange plaster object.

When I looked closer, I could hardly contain my surprise! It was nothing more than Bonaparte’s death mask!

Malmaison, France, 1861 By a fantastic turn of fate, this palace passed to another emperor of France – Napoleon III. He was simultaneously the nephew of Napoleon II and the grandson of Josephine.

Malmaison, France (video)

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