Firmly rooted in the heart of the Val-de-Loire, the Villandry Estate has a rich history that goes back almost a thousand years. Villandry is not just a chateau, but also gardens and at Villandry it is in fact the gardens that seem to attract the visitors. Only the most intrepid know that the Renaissance façade gives little hint of what lies within. The estate's successive owners have all left their mark on this château, and as you walk round you get a real feel for the French savoir-vivre, illustrated in the warm interior décor and the intimate arrangement of furniture that simply oozes French savoir-faire. The main theme of the visit is modernity. Villandry has always been on the cutting edge of modernity, both in terms of architecture and décor, and the Empire pedestal table that Jerome Bonaparte introduced to the Château de Villandry at the beginning of the 19th century is a prime example of this modernity.
In one thousand years of history, the Villandry estate has enjoyed a certain amount of stability except in the19th century, during which time it changed hands several times. For a few years, Napoleon I handed over the keys to his younger brother Prince Jerome. Villandry was highly influenced by the Empire style that was very fashionable at this time in the Imperial court. New pieces of furniture were to modernise its décor, including a pedestal table that Villandry hopes to purchase thanks to your donations.
The pedestal table made specially for Prince Jerome is a beautiful example of the interpretation of Classical Antiquity by craftsmen who designed furniture for the large residences of the First French Empire. The craftsmanship of the pedestal table is characteristic of Jacob-Desmalter, the pioneering cabinetmaker who initiated the Empire style. Entirely veneered with mahogany, the pedestal table is made up of a pyramidal base and a tabletop adorned with nine Wedgwood-style Sèvres porcelain medallions depicting Muses surrounding a picture of Apollo's chariot. The porcelain is separated by gilt bronze mounts with scroll and palmette motifs. The base is edged with friezes depicting laurel leaf ornaments and vine branches. Mahogany lion's paw feet gilded with bronze palmettes complete the décor.
Crippled with debts, Jerome Bonaparte was forced to part with Villandry; he gave up the entire estate, including the furniture. The pedestal table stayed at Villandry for nearly one hundred years.
Prince Jérôme's pedestal table is an exceptional artefact designed by cabinetmaker Jacob-Desmalter and embellished with porcelain from the Manufacture de Sèvres, both of which are true jewels of French savoir-faire. The purchase of such an exceptional artefact would be the perfect opportunity for the Château de Villandry to illustrate the Empire page of its history and its constant modernity.
By helping Villandry with this purchase, you are also supporting a comprehensive and coherent cultural policy that aims to encourage visitors to take a new look at the chateau's interior design. It is therefore vital to offer visitors a permanent exhibition of exceptional artefacts, representative of the history of French savoir-vivre and savoir-faire which the Château de Villandry holds so dearly since the Middle Ages.
Jerome Bonaparte's pedestal table will be exhibited in Joachim Carvallo's study. Placed back where it belongs, this extraordinary piece of furniture will once again become part of the Chateau's history and will also remain a part of French heritage.
The pedestal table is currently available for purchase in Paris through an antique dealer for €120,000. This funding campaign has been set up to raise a third of this amount:
€40,000. The remaining €80,000 will be self-financed by entrance fees.
If we manage to bring back Prince Jérôme's pedestal table, it will be thanks to you and we would like to thank you in advance for supporting this project.
Don't forget that you can also contribute to the success of this campaign by liking the Villandry page on Facebook, by following us on Twitter @CJ_Villandry, by sharing your messages on the social networks and by telling anyone you know about us.
Everyone here at Villandry would like to give there heartfelt thanks for any support you can offer.
If by any chance, thanks to your donations and support, our target is exceeded, we will be able to buy a desk in the Empire style to be put in Joachim Carvallo's study so that the harmony of style created by the sofa, the armchairs, the desk and of course the pedestal table is complete.
You can support this project :
- by an online gift through this page, once your registration is complete on www.dartagnans.fr
- by a bank check to the order of the Cercle Guimard, sent to the following address:
Dartagnans
Campagne château de Villandry
14 rue Crespin du Gast
75011 Paris
Registering for the draw will win you two tickets for the 2018 edition of la Nuit des Mille Feux.
The Château de Villandry is the last of the great Loire Châteaux built during the Renaissance in the Loire Valley on the site of a former medieval fort; only the dungeon remains part of the new edifice. The sober elegance of its architecture combined with the charm of its outstanding gardens make this monument a site where excellence and conviviality intertwine harmoniously. The Château and gardens have been classified as "monument historique" since 1934; Villandry is a founder member of Demeure Historique. The gardens have been awarded the "jardin remarquable" label and were designated "Site Ambassadeur" of the Loire Valley by UNESCO in 2005. The Villandry team pays particular attention to the quality of its visitors' care. Villandry has been awarded the "Qualité Tourism" label since 2000. The teams' work and the site's importance have been recognised by visitors: the TripAdvisor ratings and Google reviews for Villandry are amongst the best of the Loire Châteaux. Lastly, environmentally aware and conscious of the link between Man and Nature, the garden is maintained according to organic farming. The garden has been awarded the "Eco-jardin" label, and is one of the rare historical gardens to be awarded the LPO (French society for the protection of birds) label.
If you wish to find out more about the Villandry Château and gardens, please take a look at our website. And if your curiosity has still not been satisfied, please contact us or even better, come and see us, we'll be happy to talk to you!
See you soon!
It would be impossible to talk about the pedestal table without mentioning François-Honoré-Georges Jacob-Desmalter, who is without a doubt one of the best French cabinetmakers. François-Honoré-Georges Jacob-Desmalter (1770-1841) is part of one of the craftsmen dynasties attached to the royal family that existed under the Ancien Régime. The work of the Jacob cabinetmakers was stamped with the seal of innovation. His father, Georges Jacob, was responsible for the Louis XVI and Directoire styles. Firstly under the name of "Jacob frères" and then under "Jacob Desmalter et Cie", François-Honoré-Georges, in the wake of the artists of his time, drew his inspiration from Antiquity to create the Empire style. He met numerous orders from the imperial family before being awarded the title "Carpenter-cabinetmaker-manufacturer of furniture and bronze for their Imperial Majesties". Always quick to innovate, a few decades later the workshop developed the Restauration style.
The craftsmanship of the furniture produced by Jacob-Desmalter is recognisable by its precision, noblesse, pure lines, perfect sense of proportions and the chiselling of its decorations; this is why every piece of furniture that came out of his workshop is considered a work of art.
Successively a royal, imperial and then a national manufacturer, the Manufacure de Sèvre is the crème de la crème of porcelain production. According to the wishes of Louis XV and Madame de Pompadour, the business was established in 1740. Since then, its production has never ceased. To begin with, the site was located at Vincennes. Before being rapidly relocated to Sèvres, on the banks of the River Seine. The building now houses the Cité de la céramique.
