Rueil-Malmaison interlude

During a week-long visit to France in early July ’09, I took a day trip to the Paris suburb of Rueil-Malmaison to visit my friend Briony.

Located about eight miles west of central Paris, the suburb of “Rueil” changed its name in 1928 to reflect its most famous tourist attraction, the Château de Malmaison, the last home of Napoleon’s first wife, Josephine.

I took a northbound subway from the local Métro station to the Gare Étoile station, where I transferred to the RER commuter rail system. I was to take one of three Line “A” alternates, the St. Germain en-Laye line. The fifth stop was Rueil-Malmaison.

I met Briony and, after a meal, we went on to Château Malmaison, the house that Josephine bought in 1799 while Napoleon was away in Egypt. Upon his return, he was irate that she’d spent 300,000 francs for the dwelling. He relented, though, and the residence became for a time the headquarters of the French government. The etymology of the name Malmaison takes you to “evil house.”

Josephine embellished the estate, including the park, and continued to live in the château from 1809 until her death in 1814. It later had several owners until a philanthropist renovated it and gave it to the state in 1906.

The main hall with a series of columns supporting busts of the imperial family leads to the Billiards Room. Napoleon was an avid pool player. Two tables were exported to St. Helena, one for his use during exile and another for the garrison of English soldiers guarding him. In the nearby Music Room is Josephine’s harp.

The pièce de résistance of the artwork is Jacques-Louis David’s painting “Napoleon Crossing the Alps,” in the Marengo Room. The big oil on canvas, 8'6"x7'3", is the original canvas of this famous painting (subsequently, David painted four more versions, which are found in museums throughout France).

The Cháteau de Malmaison (Avenue du Cháteau, 92500 Rueil-Malmaison; phone +33 1 41 29 05 55) is open every day 10 a.m.-5:45 p.m. €6 ($8.45) adult; free on the first Sunday of each month.

CHARLES McDERMOTT

New York, NY