Sunday, January 10, 2010

Guest Post by Leslie Carroll: Malmaison




Please welcome Leslie Carroll, author of  NOTOROIOUS ROYAL MARRIAGES for dedicating this wonderful post especially written for Enchanted by Josephine!

MALMAISON




No one knows how Malmaison (“bad house”) got its name.  The château’s life began as a fief of the Abby of Saint-Denis, and from 1360 to 1763 it remained in the same family.  On April 21 1799 the property was purchased by Josephine Bonaparte, the wife of the rising Corsican-born general, Napoleon. 

Neither of them had remained faithful to each other thus far.  Josephine, the widowed mother of two children, Eugène and Hortense, was a survivor—of one bad marriage, and of the Terror.  Josephine’s second marriage, to Napoleon, was initially another exercise of her keen survival instincts, although she and Bonaparte would eventually become thoroughly dependent on each other in every way.

In 1799, Josephine was deep into an extramarital fling with another diminutive dark-haired officer, Hippolyte Charles.  Nonetheless, she was depressed and missed her husband. She had taken Napoleon’s suggestion to find them a quiet country estate, purchasing the Château de Malmaison some ten miles from Paris, lavishly furnishing and redecorating it, although she was already up to her eyebrows in debt.




Napoleon returned from Egypt and after a particularly acrimonious spat, the Bonapartes patched up their differences—although things would never be the same between them.  In retaliation for Josephine’s affair with Hippolyte, Napoleon had enjoyed numerous adulterous liaisons, throwing his infidelity in his wife’s face. His numerous sexual conquests humiliated her.  The room adjacent to his office was set aside for trysts, during which he would divest himself of little more than his sword, insisting that “the matter was all dealt with in three minutes.”

“Love is not for me,” he dismissively claimed. “I am not as other men.”

Josephine never again so much as glanced at another man, desperate to regain her husband’s trust.

As they rebuilt their marriage, they reconfigured Malmaison.  Already Josephine’s dream home, Napoleon’s architects, Fontaine and Percier, altered the front façade so that it resembled a military tent.  Classical statuary adorned a series of buttresses that unfortunately no longer exist.  There was even a theatre, which is gone now as well.

After Josephine was crowned empress of France on December 2, 1804, she rededicated herself to making Malmaison even more her own idyll. A conservatory and garden were added, because Josephine was passionate about flowers, especially roses.  And she indulged her passion for collecting art and antiquities.

Although he claimed to have been doing it for France, a purportedly brokenhearted Napoleon divorced Josephine on January 10, 1810 because she had failed to give him an heir.  When the ceremony was over and all the documents had been duly executed, Napoleon kissed Josephine and accompanied her to her apartments.  Later that day, she visited his rooms, her hair “disordered and her face contorted,” according to Napoleon’s valet Louis Constant.  The imperial couple began to weep. “Be brave,” the emperor counseled his now ex-wife, “I will always be your friend.”

The following day Josephine and her household moved into Malmaison.  Napoleon visited her there that afternoon, and they were spotted walking hand in hand.  It was clearly painful for each of them to let go of what they had shared for so many years.  Josephine had been the emperor’s rock, confidante, companion, and grand passion.  She had grown in the relationship from tepid indifference to utter devotion.  Even after Napoleon's 1814 exile to Elba, Josephine maintained his rooms at Malmaison, shrinelike, just as he had left them.

By this time, Josephine was fifty years old.  Her skin had become discolored and her usually dulcet voice was raspy and hoarse.  She had caught a cold in mid-May after going riding in one of her flimsy white muslin frocks and the chill had metamorphosed into a fever.  Her symptoms were those of diphtheria.  Yet she refused to remain in bed, hosting a dinner and dance in the tsar’s honor on the evening of May 24.  Over the next couple of days her condition worsened. On May 27 she became delirious, murmuring his name . . . Bonaparte.

Josephine’s children were beside her gilded swan-shaped bed when she died at Malmaison on the morning of May 29, “as gently and sweetly as she lived,” according to her son, Eugène. Mourning etiquette prevented her children from attending their mother’s funeral, a quiet ceremony held in the church at Rueil, where they later erected a sculpture of her.






I had the pleasure of visiting Malmaison last September.  It was a gloomy day, the Parisian skies as gray as the façade of the château, the falling leaves damp and brown.  From the moment I stepped on the gravel walk that leads to the main entrance, I was hit with the profoundest tristesse.  The “bad” house was, palpably, the “sad” house.  Perhaps it was because my husband and I were practically the only ones there.  Had everyone forgotten Josephine?  The château is presently a museum of Napoleona.  Maybe everyone visits his tomb at Les Invalides and doesn’t bother to take the Metro and then a bus all the way out to the estate that had been the quiet comfort of the imperial couple, a cozy monument of their love.

As it was late September, what remained of Josephine’s magnificent gardens was sparse and sere—except for a couple of survivors, a few late summer roses that had managed to stay in full bloom through the first few days of fall.  I had to photograph one of them; and it was not until I loaded them on my computer that I could see the details of what I had initially thought was one perfect pure white rose.  Look closely and you will see several pale red spots.  It is as if the rose itself had survived the sprays of blood from the Terror.

And I’m sure you all know what Josephine’s real name was.  But in case you don’t—until Napoleon decided to rename her, she was always known as Rose.






 Thank You Leslie!





191 comments:

Leslie Carroll said...

Lucy, thank you so much for posting this. I'm so glad the pix I took of Malmaison came out so well.

This has been a truly amazing week for me, and I am eternally grateful to you and to the other goddesses of the HFBRT for your passionate and enthusiastic support of NOTORIOUS ROYAL MARRIAGES!

Lucy said...

Leslie it was more than a pleasure! I'm so glad that it was Your book that inaugurated our event! You're not only an-all around talented author/ artist- you're truly a fantastic person. Thanks so much!

Unknown said...

Thank you for a wonderful post. The pictures were gorgeous. I really enjoyed learning more about that mansion/house.
:)

Unknown said...

An amazing post - It is always more special to see images of these places you hear of. Great picture of the rose Leslie.

May said...

What an interesting article. Very pretty mansion, but it really does have an odd name. The part about the red-sprinkled white rose was really evocative.

Arleigh said...

Love the photos, and that is interesting about the rose. It's ironic that Marie Antoinette had her Petit Triannon and then Josephine made her Malmaison as her retreat.

Anonymous said...

Actually, I didn't know that Napoleon renamed her from Rose to Josephine. Very interesting! Although Malmaison looks beautiful, I imagine it would almost be sad to visit, knowing what happened there. Leslie, do you know what happened to Malmaison after Josephine's death? Was it sold to pay her debts?

Leslie Carroll said...

After Josephine's death, Malmaison changed owners several times. Her son Eugene inherited the chateau, but because the entire Bonaparte family (including Josephine's kids) were kicked out of France after Napoleon's enforced abdication, Eugene was exiled to Bavaria (his wife was Augusta-Amalia of Bavaria). He died there in 1824 and his widow sold Malmaison to a Swedish banker.

In 1842 it was purchased by the exiled queen of Spain Maria-Christina; she sold it to Napoleon III (the son of Josephine's daughter Hortense and her husband) in 1861. Napoleon III's wife, the Empress Eugenie, was the first one to turn Malmaison into a museum. Fighting in 1870 forced its closure and the chateau went into decline after the fall of the Second Empire. Malmaison was later bought by a man named Daniel Osiris Iffla (great name, huh?), who gave it to the State for use as a museum once again, opening it to the public in 1906.

Lucy said...

That is so interesting Leslie! Thanks fo including this important information:)

Jenny Girl said...

What a beautiful yet sad post. Poor Josephine, to have endured all of that, and yet remain a wonderful woman speaks to her fiber of being. Excellent post.

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol online reviews tramadol hydrochloride - buy tramadol online usa cheap

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol buy tramadol in usa - tramadol for dogs used by humans

Anonymous said...

order tramadol online mastercard tramadol dosage nhs - buy tramadol usa pharmacy

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol tramadol withdrawal effects - stories of tramadol addiction

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol online mastercard overnight tramadol for dogs side effects - order cheap tramadol-overnight

Anonymous said...

tramadol online buy tramadol online overnight delivery - buy tramadol rx

Anonymous said...

ativan medication lorazepam tablets online - ativan 1 mg uses

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol cheap online buy tramadol injection - tramadol seizure risk

Anonymous said...

buy discount tramadol tramadol 50 mg lexapro - buy tramadol 50mg online

Anonymous said...

cheap generic ativan withdrawal from ativan how long - buy ativan online no prescription

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol online cod overnight tramadol ultram experience - tramadol addiction help

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol india safe buy tramadol online - legal buy tramadol mexico

Anonymous said...

buy ativan ativan side effects tremors - ativan side effects diarrhea

Anonymous said...

generic tramadol online tramadol addiction stories - buy tramadol online free shipping

Anonymous said...

buy ambien online ambien cr 12.5 mg abuse - ambien side effects vision changes

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol online cod overnight can you buy tramadol online - tramadol 200mg online

Anonymous said...

ativan for anxiety ativan dosage guidelines - buy ativan online with mastercard

Anonymous said...

ambien sleep medication is generic ambien available in u.s. - the ambien walrus

Anonymous said...

legal buy tramadol online tramadol online tennessee - buy tramadol online by cod

Anonymous said...

buy generic soma buy soma no prescription online - soma san diego official website

Anonymous said...

buy soma online watch deadly soma 2 online - what is soma muscle relaxer

Anonymous said...

order ambien pictures of generic ambien tablets - drug interactions with ambien cr

Anonymous said...

carisoprodol 350 mg buy soma online overnight - what is soma 350 mg used for

Anonymous said...

tramadol 100 mg buy cheap tramadol online usa - tramadol hcl oral tablet 50 mg

Anonymous said...

ambien online price of generic ambien - ambien side effects visual

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol buy tramadol online no rx - can you order tramadol online legally

Anonymous said...

tramadol online tramadol 93 58 - tramadol narcotic

Anonymous said...

buy soma online get soma online - soma cruz

Anonymous said...

tramadol online what is tramadol 50mg tablets for - buy tramadol online in the usa

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol with paypal buy tramadol legally - order tramadol american express

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol medication tramadol medication purchase - buy tramadol line uk

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol tramadol dosage equivalent to morphine - order tramadol australia

Anonymous said...

legal buy tramadol online tramadol hcl bp - buy tramadol online with a cod

Anonymous said...

cheap ambien no prescription buy ambien online fast shipping - ambien get you high

Anonymous said...

ativan lorazepam lorazepam dura 1mg nebenwirkungen - ativan side effects skin

Anonymous said...

carisoprodol online soma generic vs watson - soma pills description

Anonymous said...

order tramadol online tramadol vs oxycodone high - zaldiar tramadol hcl

Anonymous said...

ambien without a rx buy discount ambien - ambien cr recreational use

Anonymous said...

order viagra prescription viagra buy online forum - where to purchase viagra in ireland

Anonymous said...

purchase viagra viagra canadian pharmacy no prescription - generic viagra online india

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol online with mastercard kegunaan tramadol hcl - dosage of tramadol 50mg

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol cod online best place order tramadol online - buy tramadol rx

Anonymous said...

buy viagra houston buy viagra alternative - buy viagra from canada online

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol online tramadol 50 mg for migraine - tramadol 50 mg buy online

Anonymous said...

buy ambien online ambien side effects driving - ambien withdrawal taper

Anonymous said...

soma muscle buy soma europe - buy soma spliffs

Anonymous said...

buy klonopin online overnight klonopin drug dosage - klonopin memory loss

Anonymous said...

buy ambien online 10mg ambien too much - buy ambien cr online no prescription

Anonymous said...

ambien pill ativan vs ambien sleep - ambien cr coupon savings

Anonymous said...

how to order viagra buy viagra online debit card - generic viagra купить

Anonymous said...

buy viagra usa male viagra for women - buy viagra online using paypal

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol in florida tramadol online american pharmacy - tramadol online pharmacy usa

Anonymous said...

ambien pills ambien high side effects - ambien dosage 20 mg

Anonymous said...

order soma online buy soma intimates usa - soma 250

Anonymous said...

order viagra online viagra jokes - how does generic viagra compare

Anonymous said...

buy viagra las vegas order viagra from canada online - viagra gel

Anonymous said...

online soma soma drug test benzo - soma muscle relaxant drug

Anonymous said...

tadalafil no prescription cialis online malaysia - cialis price usa

Anonymous said...

buy viagra viagra online cheap uk - cheap viagra with mastercard

Anonymous said...

buy viagra cialis generic viagra reviews forum - where to buy viagra online australia

Anonymous said...

soma without prescription soma devlet hastanesi online randevu alma - soma muscle relaxer identification

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol no rx tramadol addiction risk - tramadol addiction therapy

Anonymous said...

tramadol 100 mg order tramadol cod next day delivery - tramadol no prescription overnight shipping

Anonymous said...

buy viagra professional buy viagra uk review - buy viagra online uk next day delivery

Anonymous said...

viagra online viagra online pharmacy canada - buy generic viagra 100mg

Anonymous said...

tramadol online pharmacy tramadol ultram schedule - tramadol for dogs how long does it take to work

Anonymous said...

buy viagra sample buy viagra online overnight delivery - buy viagra online tesco

Anonymous said...

soma buy side effects soma muscle relaxer - soma compound more drug_side_effects

Anonymous said...

order tramadol online mastercard tramadol no prescription legal - tramadol online pharmacy no prescription

Anonymous said...

buy viagra 100mg viagra dosage 25mg - buy online viagra viagra

Anonymous said...

buy propecia online buy propecia rogaine - propecia side effects recover

Anonymous said...

tramadol online tramadol hcl 50mg tab for dogs - buy tramadol from trusted pharmacy

Anonymous said...

buy viagra usa buy viagra next day delivery uk - viagra dosage prostate surgery

Anonymous said...

cheap generic propecia is there generic propecia in the u.s - order propecia canada no prescription

Anonymous said...

buy viagra generic online buy genuine viagra online canada - buy generic viagra in canada

Anonymous said...

cheap viagra pills does viagra work after you ejaculate - buy viagra rio de janeiro

Anonymous said...

order cialis can i buy cialis over the counter in canada - cialis 5mg review

Anonymous said...

buy generic tramadol online buy tramadol cod - tramadol online 99

Anonymous said...

finasteride without prescription buy propecia with paypal - propecia libido

Anonymous said...

tramadol no prescription tramadol no prescription overnight cod delivery - buy tramadol usa

Anonymous said...

buy finasteride propecia gyno - finasteride without prescription

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol with mastercard can you buy tramadol in the usa - 37.5 mg tramadol high

Anonymous said...

generic finasteride where to buy propecia uk - best rated generic propecia

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol online tramadol 50 mg drug facts - tramadol 50mg buzz

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol cod fedex tramadol online overnight shipping - buy tramadol usa

Anonymous said...

buy propecia online generic propecia legal - buy generic propecia online

Anonymous said...

cheap tramadol no prescription buy tramadol forum - buy cheap tramadol online usa

Anonymous said...

cialis drug generic cialis paypal - buy genuine cialis online

Anonymous said...

sildenafil no prescription viagra online japan - viagra 200mg dose

Anonymous said...

sildenafil no prescription buy viagra alternative - viagra online original

Anonymous said...

finasteride medication generic propecia in usa - propecia before and after

Anonymous said...

cheap cialis 20mg cialis price daily - buy cialis generic canada

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol saturday delivery tramadol to buy online - buy cheap tramadol mastercard

Anonymous said...

tramadol 50mg buy tramadol online in uk - tramadol hcl 50mg tab north

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol cod online tramadol hcl shelf life - tramadol 50 mg tablets side effects

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol online buy tramadol online from usa - tramadol addiction help usa

Anonymous said...

where to buy tramadol online buy tramadol paypal - buy tramadol online with a cod

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol tramadol generic - tramadol hcl er 100

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol buy tramadol online uk cheap - tramadol hcl get you high

Anonymous said...

buy propecia online propecia youtube - finasteride online

Anonymous said...

buy generic tramadol no prescription tramadol dosage daily - buy tramadol with american express

Anonymous said...

propecia finasteride generic propecia brazil - propecia visible results

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol with mastercard can you withdrawal tramadol - buy tramadol 180 online

Anonymous said...

buy generic tramadol online can you order tramadol online - tramadol online no prescription cod

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol tramadol 50mg for pets - order tramadol next day delivery

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol with paypal tramadol withdrawal high blood pressure - dosage for tramadol for dogs

Anonymous said...

buy propecia online generic propecia finax - propecia side effects rare

Anonymous said...

buy cheap tramadol buy tramadol online no prescription mastercard - order tramadol pharmacy

Anonymous said...

tramadol 50mg order tramadol online overnight - tramadol 100mg dose

Anonymous said...

propecia pills propecia lawsuit commercial - buy generic propecia online cheap

Anonymous said...

tramadol 50mg tramadol ultram side effects dogs - tramadol yellow pill

Anonymous said...

tramadol 50 mg buy tramadol online mastercard - buy tramadol 99

Anonymous said...

tramadol online tramadol withdrawal treatment - tramadol overdose amount

Anonymous said...

finasteride medication buy propecia online with prescription - propecia juanita

Anonymous said...

tramadol online long does 50mg tramadol take work - tramadol hcl 50 mg para que es

Anonymous said...

generic viagra cheap quality viagra - viagra dosage reviews

Anonymous said...

tramadol 50 mg tramadol 50 mg contraindications - where can i order tramadol

Anonymous said...

viagra online without prescription buy generic viagra new zealand - buy brand viagra no prescription

Anonymous said...

cheap viagra viagra dosage weight - scary movie 4 viagra online

Anonymous said...

generic viagra best place buy viagra online us - buy viagra over counter us

Anonymous said...

buy cialis cheap cheap cialis in nz - buy cialis without doctor prescription

Anonymous said...

generic cialis online can you buy cialis online in australia - cialis daily or 36

Anonymous said...

viagra online without prescription viagra dosage reviews - buy viagra from china

Anonymous said...

buy cialis 20mg cialis online daily - how to buy cialis online in australia

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol safe place buy tramadol online - can you buy ultram canada

Anonymous said...

viagra online without prescription can buy viagra dublin - best buy generic viagra

Anonymous said...

viagra online without prescription order cheapest viagra - viagra online lloyds

Anonymous said...

viagra 50mg viagra for women 2010 - best place buy viagra online forum

Anonymous said...

cheap viagra purchase viagra sri lanka - buy viagra online tesco

Anonymous said...

generic viagra order viagra safely online - viagra for men buy online us

Anonymous said...

cheap generic viagra generic viagra vipps - can you get viagra at walmart

Anonymous said...

generic cialis can you order cialis online for canada - where to order cialis online safe

Anonymous said...

order cialis online buy cialis online germany - order viagra or cialis online

Anonymous said...

buy cialis no prescription canada order generic cialis online canada - cialis daily therapy

Anonymous said...

viagra 50mg viagra what dosage should i take - buy viagra online in usa

Anonymous said...

generic cialis cheap cialis 10mg - cialis black 800mg reviews

Anonymous said...

generic cialis cialis daily and bph - cheap cialis super active

Anonymous said...

buy cialis online cheap buy cialis paypal payment - cialis online order canada

Anonymous said...

cheap generic cialis buy legit cialis online - cialis back pain

Anonymous said...

cheap generic cialis cialis online doctor - buy cialis over the counter

Anonymous said...

cialis price http://www.cialis-online-shop.com - cialis online cheap no prescription

Anonymous said...

tramadol without prescription tramadol 50 mg can you snort - tramadol overdose coma

Anonymous said...

viagra online buy pfizer viagra online in us - buy viagra on line no prescription

Anonymous said...

cheap soma is soma a strong muscle relaxant - soma pills addictive

Anonymous said...

buy soma online what is a soma muscle relaxer - soma 350 mg images

Anonymous said...

buy soma online buy sumatriptan no prescription - order soma online overnight delivery

Anonymous said...

buy soma soma clothing sale - buy somatropin-x3gh

Anonymous said...

buy soma online buy 120 soma online - foster people san diego soma tickets

Anonymous said...

buy retin a without a prescription retin a micro pump works - retin a cream moisturizer

Anonymous said...

buy soma online much does soma cost street - buy soma drug

Anonymous said...

soma generic soma mixte buy - soma drug buyers

Anonymous said...

soma online pharmacy soma drug schedule - watch argento soma online free

Anonymous said...

cialis for sale buy cialis 100mg online - generic cialis thailand

Anonymous said...

buy retin a no prescription where to order retin-a cream - retin a micro gel generic

Anonymous said...

buy cialis online cialis prostate - buy generic cialis online usa

Anonymous said...

buy cialis generic cialis online us - cialis online overnight

Anonymous said...

soma medication soma no prescription needed - buy soma generic online

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol online tramadol addiction mayo clinic - tramadol dosage equivalent

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol online mastercard overnight tramadol 50mg better than vicodin - tramadol hcl online

Anonymous said...

order retin-a buy retin a micro gel pump - buy retin a micro

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol cash on delivery buy tramadol 100mg - tramadol 50mg what are the side effects

Anonymous said...

cheap tramadol buy tramadol online with cod - tramadol online tennessee

Anonymous said...

online pharmacy retin a retin a cream breakout - buy retin a gel online no prescription

Anonymous said...

buy discount tramadol buy cheap tramadol uk - tramadol dosage strengths

Anonymous said...

tramadol 50 mg tramadol hcl 50mg tab mylan side effects - tramadol hcl msds

Anonymous said...

tramadol 50mg tramadol hcl painkiller - buy tramadol overnight

Anonymous said...

buy retin a retin a micro gel before and after - where to buy retin-a renova and tazorac

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol online tramadol hcl uses - tramadol hcl 50 mg erowid

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol cheap tramadol dosage for adults - order tramadol overnight delivery

Anonymous said...

tramadol online pharmacy tramadol 50 mg buy usa - tramadol for dogs an 627

Anonymous said...

buy cialis online cialis 8cpr riv 20mg - buy cialis online safely

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol mastercard order tramadol from canada - buy tramadol online in florida

Anonymous said...

cialis cost once daily cialis side effects - is cialis generic yet

Anonymous said...

buy generic tramadol buy tramadol pay cod - buy tramadol online missouri

Anonymous said...

tramadol 100mg tramadol online - tramadol high feeling

Anonymous said...

buy cheap tramadol tramadol dosage side effects - tramadol 50mg street value

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol cod overnight tramadol hcl side effects in dogs - tramadol 50 mg is equivalent

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol tablets buy tramadol usa - tramadol dosage 50 lb dog

Anonymous said...

xanax online beat xanax drug test - xanax high blood pressure medication

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol zodol-tramadol 50 mg - tramadol for dogs how long to take effect

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol where to buy tramadol online usa - tramadol 100 mg a day