Tuesday 9 April 2013

A Little Bet ...

When the Comte d'Artois purchased a minor hunting lodge in the forest of Boulogne in 1775 he decided to turn it into his own private château - the Château de Bagatelle. So he quickly had the old house torn down and began planning his new home when his sister-in-law Marie Antointette proposed a bet - the château had to be finished within three months. Marie Antoinette bet the Comte that he could not finish the project within three months but the Comte himself thought differently.

The workers employed by the Comte d'Artois worked tirelessly on building a neo-classical château by the design of François-Joseph Bélanger. The Comte actually won the bet - the building was complete in 63 days at a cost of more than two million livres!

And here it is today. The château that sparked a little bet...

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