- Rendez-vous de l'Institut
- Conference
Le parc néo-classique et romantique du palais de Compiègne by Emmanuel STARCKY – Château de Bénouville
The Palais de Compiègne Neoclassical and Romantic park
The palace’s location offers it a very special relationship with the nearby forest, which attracted sovereigns thanks to its hunting potential. The park is located between the forest and the residence. From the 15th to the 18th centuries, various garden projects enhanced the life of its resident sovereigns. For Louis XV, Gabriel had planned a large embroidery parterre garden, of which a plan dating from 1755 bears witness. Yet, it was Napoleon Bonaparte who was behind the present-day garden. After his stay here in 1811, the garden was replanted in a ‘picturesque’ aim, according to plans drawn up by Berthault. Napoleon Bonaparte also had an access ramp installed leading to the terrace which offers views stretching over four kilometres: the ‘Beaux-Monts’ alley. Finally, Berthault created a one kilometre-long cradle. The last historic transformations were made by Napoleon III. The story of the Compiègne estate over the centuries will be related.
Emmanuel Starcky
Graduated from the Ecole du Louvre and the University of Paris IV-Sorbonne, Emmanuel Starcky acted as Curator of the Louvre’s department of Prints and Drawings for six years. He was then Head of Establishment of the Musée Magnin and the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Dijon. From 2003 to 2005, he was deputy director of the Musées de France, alongside Francine Mariani-Ducray. Since 2005, Emmanuel Starcky is museum and national estate director for the Châteaux de Compiègne and Blérancourt. He has acted as Commissioner for several exhibitions in France and abroad and has also published works on the Northern Schools.