It is necessary to save the castle of Bagatelle! Such is the watchword of Amy Kupec Larue. This American living in Paris since 30 years has put online a petition to alert the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo on the worrisome state of this «madness» – these vacation homes established by the aristocracy or the bourgeoisie-wealthy in the outskirts of cities, between the Fourteenth and the Nineteenth centuries.
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This small castle of the Xvith arrondissement of paris, built in 1777 in the bois de Boulogne by the architect François-Joseph Bélanger and classified a historical monument since forty years, is undergoing a «month to month» a «continuous degradation», worry about the guide to the gardens of the City of Paris and its co-signer, the interior architect Dorian Guo.
The enumeration of damage provides an overview of the magnitude of the problem: «With the decay of the cornice, the blocks begin to detach, and the laying of a net to avoid the accidents will only postpone the problems,» detail-they. This phenomenon, «without a doubt, the sign of seepage high», «leads to a rapid deterioration of the first floor which has never been restored», complain to the signatories.
These impairments are such that they have «consequences on the state of the ground floor where are the rooms most emblematic of the castle.» A state of disrepair, unable to be concealed to the visitors: «We are sometimes obliged us to apologize for the condition of the premises,» says a guide questioned by our colleagues from Paris.
degradation reported to the mayor of Paris at the beginning of 2018, without result for the moment
further cause of irritation for Amy Kupec Larue and Dorian Guo: while the problem has been reported in January, 2018 by the Commission du Vieux Paris, responsible for advising the town council on the protection of the parisian heritage, no renewal has since been undertaking this year.
A situation all the more regrettable that the castle also presents a great historical value: Napoleon Bonaparte, the comte d’artois or even significant art collectors and philanthropists, such as Richard Wallace, have stayed there.
In the petition, the guide to the gardens of Paris and the interior designer ask Anne Hidalgo of the «order an in-depth study of the built environment» to accurately assess the damage, and’a genuine campaign of preservation and restoration». The authors intend their side to make a financial aid «through private donations and corporate sponsorship». They have already collected more than 800 signatures, including that of Stéphane Bern, on behalf of the Heritage Foundation, Yves Carlier, the chief curator of the château de Versailles and finally Xavier Brayn the director of the Wallace Collection in London. Supports weight for this jewel in danger.
