In 2019, the Château de Bagatelle, property of the City of Paris, was entrusted to the Mansart Foundation, responsible for its restoration and reopening to the public. After the restoration of the castle’s facades, carried out between 2021 and 2022, the foundation continued its work on the Trianon de Bagatelle, restored between 2023 and 2024. At the same time, work allowed the installation of a geothermal heating system, capturing calories from the ground more than 150 meters deep.

The famous "Folie" of the Count of Artois now enters the last stage of its renaissance: the restoration of interior decorations.

The Grand Salon: an exceptional construction site

The works begin with the Grand Salon, undoubtedly the richest room in the castle’s decor. Before intervening on the decorations, it was necessary to install an impressive scaffolding occupying all the circular space of eight meters in diameter and allowing access to the dome culminating at fourteen meters in height. This scaffolding, put in place in October, made it possible to carry out the first stratigraphic surveys of the dome in order to understand the succession of painted decorations that have been superimposed on it over the centuries and to guide the restoration.

Rediscovery of the 18th century decor

These investigations have revealed the presence of the original 18th century decor, long considered lost. The motifs painted in the long panels connecting the oculus to the base of the cupola are well preserved and belong to an ancient decoration, perhaps from the early 19th century, although heavily restored later. On the other hand, the ongoing excavations reveal the preserved presence of the first decoration of the Count of Artois, consisting of diamond-shaped boxes, documented by ancient drawings, which were later covered with several layers of box decorations adorned with putti and flower garlands, whose diverse quality alters the overall composition.

A challenge of harmonization

The main challenge for restorers now consists of precisely dating each layer of decoration and reconciling elements from different eras while preserving as much original material as possible. The shades, sometimes radically contrasted, require a meticulous work of chromatic harmonization in order to give back to the Grand Salon the balance and elegance that made its fame.