25th Anniversary of the French Heritage Society at Vaux-le-Vicomte

25th Anniversary of the French Heritage Society at Vaux-le-Vicomte

Exterior of Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte on the night celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the French Heritage Society.

All great houses have a story and none is more compelling with irony than Vaux-le-Vicomte, the 17th century chateau of Nicolas Fouquet, once the Superintendent of Finances of Louis XIV.

Fouquet had bought the property which contained a small chateau, located between the royal residences of Vincennes and Fountainebleau, in 1641when he was twenty-six and from a family of what would now be called lawyers and justices. In 1643, after the death of Louis XIII who was succeeded by his five year old son Louis XIV, Fouquet became a rising star in the government of Cardinal Mazarin who was First Minister under the reign of the boy-king, and therefore ruler, in fact, of France.

In 1658, Fouquet, then Lord High Treasurer, Chancellor of the Exchequer or Superintendent of Finances of the realm, began building his dream house on the grounds of the old chateau. He had 500 hectares (about 1250 acres) cleared as well as razing the old chateau and the village of Vaux and two nearby hamlets. He hired Louis Le Vau to design it, the painter Le Brun to decorate it and and Le Notre to do the gardens. When it was completed in 1661, it was one of the most magnificent houses in all of France.

1661 was also the year that Fouquet’s mentor/sponsor Mazarin died, and the year when the young Louis, then 23 decided that he would rule personally. Fouquet was also at the height of his power. Until Mazarin passed away. However, as it is with great political power, Fouquet had his enemies; specifically one Jean-Baptiste Colbert who had been an assistant to Cardinal Mazarin and a rival of Fouquet’s. It was Colbert who had planted the idea in Louis’ head that Fouquet was absconding with funds from the state’s coffers. Louis, who later declared “L’etat, c’est moi” (I am the state) was not pleased.

Nicolas Fouquet, ill-fated Minister of Finance of Louis XIV.

"L'etat c'est Moi," so saieth Le roi du soleil, Louis XIV.

And then on August 17th of that year, Nicolas Fouquet staged a house warming to host all his friends and acquaintances and give them a first hand look at the place. Naturally the King was invited also. In fact, Fouquet, then 46 and twice Louis’ age, had, as was the custom, created an official “King’s Bedroom” in the chateau for just such a visit.

The young king was very impressed and told his host so, but his eyes were green with envy and he was outraged. He might easily have thought “We have nothing like this,” and he would have been correct. Fouquet, on the other hand, was in heaven with his great new palace and the young king coming to visit (he did not stay the night in the King’s Bedroom, however).

Although Fouquet had built his magnificent estate with funds inherited from his father and from his very rich first wife who died only a year after their marriage, his arch-rival Colbert insisted that at least some of the funds that built Vaux were ill-gotten gains pilfered from the king’s treasury. Louis, having had a first hand look at the magnificent palace of his Finance Minister, was inclined to agree.

The rear view of the chateau overlooking the gardens.

The King's Bedroom where the King never slept.

the Chateau's garden, designed by Le Notre.

And so, about three weeks after the grand housewarming, Louis had Fouquet arrested and thrown in jail. At the end of three years imprisonment he was sentenced to exile. Louis, however, didn’t believe the sentence harsh enough and changed it to life in prison where he remained until his death 18 years later at age 65.

Louis in the meantime, had developed his own ideas, with no small thanks to Fouquet, for a grander chateau at Versailles which had been a mere hunting lodge, and he hired Fouquet’s design talent – Le Brun, Le Vaux and Le Notre to do it. Twenty years later and two years after the death of Fouquet, in 1682 he moved into Versailles and moved the court from Paris. Louis himself died in 1715.

After his imprisonment, Fouquet’s wife was allowed to live at the chateau but she eventually sold it to a general of Louis’, Field Marshal de Villars. After Villars it changed hands twice again until 1875, it was acquired by Alfred Sommier who spent a huge fortune restoring it.

Vaux-le-Vicomte is owned today by Sommier’s great-grandson Count Patrice de Vogüé, who with his wife the Countess de Vogüé, was host two weeks ago to more than 300 prominent Americans and international dignitaries to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the French Heritage Society.

Elbrun and Peter Kimmelman

Elizabeth Stribling and Guy Martin

Comte Sixte de La Rochefoucauld and Jessica London

The French Heritage Society is a Franco-American association which is, according to its current chairman Elizabeth Stribling, “unified by a common passion for the beauty, values and cultural heritage of France, reflected in its rich patrimony of chateaux, historic buildings, churches and gardens.” Their mission is to preserve the finest examples of the architecture of the past and to educate new audiences about the legacy to ensure its survival.

To celebrate their anniversary, the French Heritage Society held a week of festivities in France culminating with the event the chateau on October 13th under the leadership of Honorary Co-Chairman, the Honorary Anne Cox Chambers of Atlanta, Carolyn Amory of Santa Barbara, and Karen Clark of Hobe Sound. The evening was held under the auspices of the Honorable Craig R. Stapleton, United States Ambassador to France, and His Excellency, former Ambassador to the Republic of France to the United States, Jean-David Levitte.

Before the Gala began, Comte Jean-Charles de Vogüé escorted President program participants in a private tour of the chateau. Then at 8 p.m., the Comte and Comtesse welcomed guests in a receiving line alongside Elizabeth Stribling and FHS president Princesse Marie-Soil de La Tour d’Auvergne. Among those attending were Irene Roosevelt Aitken, Anthony and Cetie Ames, CeCe and Lee Black, Joseph and Patricia Solari, Lisa and David Wolf, Mrs. Alexander Rose, Roddy and April Gow, Elizabeth Stafford, Joanna and Daniel Rose, Stephen and Maregaret Gill of Atherton, California; Sondra Gilman and Celso Gonzalez-Falla, Peter and Elbrun Kimmelman, Pilar and Juan Pablo Molyneux, Axel and Naneen Neubohn of London, Phyllis J. Washington of Palm Desert, California and John and Marianne Wyman from Greenwich.

Dinner in the Library room.

Fireworks over the garden.

Among the evening’s distinguished guests:

From France were Her Imperial Highness La Princesse Napoleon, as well as heads of FHS’s partner associations in France: Jean de Lambertye, President de la Demeure Historique; Philippe Toussaint, President des Vieilles Maisons Francaises; and Didier Wirth, President du Comite des Parcs et Jardins de France. Also attending were SAS le Prince Michel de Bourbon-Parme and SAR la Princesse Michel de Bourbon-Parme; LL.AA.SS le Prince and la Princesse Robin zu Sayn-Wittgenstein; Jean-Louis Vigrain, Comte Denis de Kergolay, Comtesse Henri d’Origny, Comte and Comtesse Sixte de La Rochefoucauld, Baron and Baronne Regis de Laroulliere, Mrs. Stanfield-Pinel, Event Chairman Comte and Comtesse Flauhaut de la Billarderie, Even Vice-Chairman and Honorary Chairman Baronne de Laroulliere.

Following the reception, the guests were invited into candle-lit rooms – the chateau’s Rotunda, Library and “Salon d’Hercule” for a gourmet dinner prepared by Guy Martin, three-tar Executive Chef of “Le Grand Vefour” in Paris. Throughout dinner, members of France Opera dressed in period costume, paraded from room to room, announcing each course in song and spoken word performance. Afterwards, guests gathered outside to witness a spectacular fireworks performance, designed to illuminate and mirror the parterres of the chateau’s lavish gardens designed by Le Notre. The music accompanying the pyrotechnics ranged from the socre of the film “Abyss” to a piece from “Turandot” at the climax. After which guests returned to th chatau to dance the night away.

To learn more about the French Heritage Society, visit their website: www.frenchheritagesociety.org

Lee and CeCe Black

Elizabeth Stafford, Carolyn Amory, and CeCe Black

Lisa and David Wolf

Princess Marie-Sol de La Tour d'Auvergne, Comtesse Patrice de Vogüé, Elizabeth Stribling, and Astrid Stanfield-Pinel

Mrs. Alexander Rose with Joanna and Daniel Rose

Elizabeth Stafford

Elizabeth Stribling and Guy Robinson

Gurnee and Marjorie Hart

Princess de La Tour d'Auvergne and Elizabeth Gurmendi

Jennifer and Royce Diener

Pilar and Juan Pablo Molyneux

Roddy and April Gow

Anthony and Cetie Ames

Prince and Princess Robin zu Sayn Wittgenstein

Isabelle Vilgrain and Prince Nicolas Dadeschkeliani

Comtesse Margareta Douglas and Robin zu Sayn Wittgenstein

Comte Jean-Charles de Vogüé and Princesse Marie-Sol de La Tour d'Auvergne

Axel and Naneen Neubohn with Nicole Salinger

Her Imperial Highness La Princesse Napoléon and Jessica London

Irene Aitken and Her Imperial Highness La Princesse Napoléon

Jeannette Hawes and Jessica London

Joseph and Patricia Solari

S.A.R. Princesse Michel de Bourbon-Parme, Baronne de Laroullière, and S.A.S Prince Michel de Bourbon-Parme

Henry and Carla Darlington

Joanna and Daniel Rose

Jean and Buddy Bolton

S.A.R. Princesse Michel de Bourbon-Parme, Mrs. Jean-Louis Vilgrain, and S.A.S. Prince Michel de Bourbon-Parme

Mrs. Jean-Louis Vilgrain and Comtesse Henri d'Origny

Elizabeth Stribling, Irene Roosevelt Aitken, Cetie Ames, and CeCe Black

Comte de Lambertye, Baron de Laroullière, Comte Patrice de Vogüé, Comte Denis de Kergolay

Comte Patrice de Vogüé, Princess Marie-Sol de La Tour d'Auvergne, Comte Denis de Kergolay

Comte Denis de Kergolay and Comte Jean-Charles de Vogüé

Mrs. Craig R. Stapleton, Carla Darlington, and Loulie Walker

Phyllis Washington, Princess Marie-Sol de La Tour d'Auvergne, Elizabeth Kahn Ingleby, and Diane Johnson

Performer from France Opéra announcing lobster course with corals on her back

Michèle le Menestrel Ullrich

Princesse Marie-Sol de La Tour d'Auvergne and Comte Jean-Charles de Vogüé

Phyllis Washington

At the unveiling and dedication ceremony for the George Washington statue (Clockwise from left): Ambassador Craig Stapleton and Princess Marie-Sol de La Tour d’Auvergne; Statue of George Washington; French Heritage Society Paris Chapter staff and volunteers.

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