The Château de Meudon was once a grand royal palace in France. It was a special home for important people, especially the Grand Dauphin, who was the only son of King Louis XIV. He made it his own personal residence.
After the Dauphin passed away, the château went back to the royal family. It was used by the famous Duchess of Berry, who was a granddaughter of Louis XIV. Later, under Kings Louis XV and Louis XVI, the palace was not used as much.
However, in 1812, it became the official home of the King of Rome, who was Napoleon's son. Jérôme Bonaparte, Napoleon's brother, also lived there during the First Empire. Sadly, the main building was mostly destroyed by a big fire in 1871. Today, the site is home to the Observatoire de Paris-Meudon, which is a famous observatory.
Computor generated image of the building as it would have appeared during the lifetime of the
Grand Dauphin.
The Story of Meudon Palace
Early Days of the Château
The story of the Château de Meudon began with a small manor house. This house was given to the Duchess of Étampes, who was a close friend of King Francis I. Around 1540, the building was updated. It was then given to the Cardinal de Lorraine.
After the Cardinal died in 1574, the property belonged to the House of Guise until 1654. Later, in 1679, the château was sold to Louvois. He was an important minister for King Louis XIV. Louvois worked hard to make the palace and its surroundings even better. He hired André Le Nôtre, a famous garden designer. Le Nôtre created amazing gardens and fountains. These fountains were fed by clever water systems.
The Grand Dauphin's Home
In June 1695, King Louis XIV bought Meudon. He wanted it to be the home for his only son, the Grand Dauphin. This was a very special time for the château. The Dauphin hired Jules Hardouin-Mansart, a famous architect. He helped make the palace even more beautiful.
After the Grand Dauphin died, his son, Louis, Duke of Burgundy, used the property for a short time. Then, in 1718, it was given to the Duchess of Berry.
Later Royal Use and Decline
King Louis XV used Meudon mainly for hunting. Even though his friend, Madame de Pompadour, lived nearby at the Château de Bellevue, Louis XV preferred another palace called Château de Choisy. Because of this, Meudon became less important.
Under King Louis XVI, the château declined even more. The beautiful gardens became overgrown, and the fountains were empty. Parts of the park were even rented out to farmers.
The Fire of 1871
In 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War, the terraces of Meudon were used to defend Paris. The château was damaged by bombs. Prussian soldiers then took over the palace. Just two days after the war ended in January 1871, a fire started at Meudon. It burned for three days. After the fire, only some of the outside walls were left standing.
Today, the site of the former royal palace is home to the Observatoire de Paris-Meudon.
People Who Lived at Meudon
Images for kids
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The Grande Coupole of the Paris Observatory is now at Meudon.
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View of Paris from Meudon, painted in 1818.
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The church of Meudon in the early 17th century.
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"The magnificent castle of Meudon", around 1600.
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François Michel Le Tellier de Louvois, a minister of Louis XIV.
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A drawing showing Les Invalides and the Château de Meudon, around 1690.
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Madame de Louvois at Meudon.
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A drawing of a party given for Queen Marie-Thérèse in 1681.
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A drawing of the stable at Meudon around 1685.
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Detail of a painting showing Louvois hunting at Meudon.
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An unfinished plan for a dome at the Château-Vieux.
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A sketch of the cabinet of miniatures in Versailles, around 1690.
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The Dauphine gate, built in 1703.
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A drawing of the palace lit up for a celebration in 1704.
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View of the château de Meudon from the entrance, around 1710.
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A seating plan for a dinner at Meudon in 1704.
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Château de Meudon from the entrance, painted in 1723.
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The main courtyard of the Château-Vieux in the 18th century.
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A drawing of fireworks at Meudon in 1735.
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A 17th-century statue displayed at Meudon.
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View of the garden at Meudon in 1779.
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A sketch of the demolition of the château in 2016.
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Le roi de Rome (The King of Rome), painted in 1811.
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View from Meudon in 1813.
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A photograph of Château-Neuf in 1850.
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Le Prince Napoléon, painted in 1860.
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The Château-Neuf after the fire in 1871.
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A project for a dome that was never built, around 1880.
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Timeline of the château's owners.
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View of Paris from Meudon in 1889.
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A photograph of the Orangery in Meudon, early 20th century.
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A map showing areas closed to the public at the Observatoire de Paris.
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A modern recreation of the Grande Perspective at Meudon.
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Layout of the Grande Perspective at Meudon, 2015.
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Map of the archaeological ruins at Meudon.
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Archaeology of the Grande Terrasse at Meudon.
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A 3D image of the château-vieux around 1704.
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Ground floor plan of the château-vieux, around 1700.
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Château-Vieux around 1705.
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Layout of the ground floor of the Château-Vieux in 1700.
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Guardroom of the Dauphin's apartment, around 1700.
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Dining room of Monseigneur, ground floor, around 1700.
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Proposed restoration of the Dauphin's antechamber, around 1700.
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Restoration sketch of Monseigneur's bedroom, around 1700.
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Proposed restoration of the Dauphin's corner cabinet.
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First floor plan of the Château-Vieux, 1700.
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Sketch of the salon from the Grand Escalier, around 1695.
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Salon des Maures (Salon of the Moors), around 1690.
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Restoration of the game antechamber, around 1700.
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Restoration of the Salon du Petit Pont, first floor.
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Diagram of the gallery of the Château-Vieux.
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Bronzes from the Crown placed in the gallery.
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Draft reconstruction of the gallery's cross-section.
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Draft reconstruction of the chapel view from the gallery, around 1710.
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Salon Albane, at the end of the gallery.
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Reconstruction of Louis XIV's antechamber, around 1696.
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Cutaway of Louis XIV's chamber, around 1700.
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David and Abigail, by Louis de Boullogne.
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Diagram of the Princess of Conti's chamber, around 1705.
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Project for a fireplace in the mirror cabinet, around 1680.
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3D recreation of the chapel's interior.
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Plan of the chestnut trees apartment, around 1703.
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Still life with profile of Diana.
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Communicating gallery, chestnut tree wing, around 1703.
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Chamber of mirrors in Charlottenburg Palace, similar to Meudon's.
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Drawing for the Triomphe de Bacchus.
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Restoration of the Grand Cabinet, around 1705.
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Grand salon, around 1705.
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Restoration of the dining room, chestnut tree wing.
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Monseigneur's chamber in the Petit Appartement Frais, around 1703.
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Cabinet of the "Petit appartement frais", around 1703.
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3D image of the Grotto of Meudon, around 1690.
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Grotto and garden, around 1685.
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3D image of the Château-Neuf around 1709.
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Facade of the Château-Neuf, 2013.
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Layout of the Château-Neuf in 1709.
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Restoration of the guard room, around 1709.
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Restoration of the first antechamber, around 1709.
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Restoration of the antechamber, around 1709.
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3D image of Monseigneur's parade chamber, around 1710.
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The months of September and October.
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3D image of the Château-Neuf gallery.
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3D restoration of the Château-Neuf gallery, around 1709.
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Aerial view of the old stables.
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Plan for expanding the stables, 1701.
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3D restoration of Meudon estate, around 1708.
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3D restoration of the view from the château-vieux balcony.
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A print of the Grande Perspective, around 1685.
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Restoration of the Grande Perspective.
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Treaty on the Waters of Meudon, 1699.
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The windmills of Villebon.
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View of the Château-Vieux and the village below.
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Église Saint-Martin in Meudon today.
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Sketch of Meudon village and castle around 1520.
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Rendition of the castle around 1520.
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Castle of Meudon, built around 1520.
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Additions by Anne of Pisseleu, around 1540.
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View of the old castle in the mid-16th century.
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The castle of Marchais, built at the same time as Meudon.
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View of the castle of Meudon, around 1600.
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The Cave of Meudon, early 17th century.
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The grotto of Meudon, around 1600.
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Castle at the death of Abel Servien in 1659.
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Arms of the Servien family.
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First floor layout at Servien's death, 1659.
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Ground floor layout at Servien's death, 1659.
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Sketch of the castle entrance in 1654.
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Diagram showing Meudon's evolution under Abel Servien.
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Unfinished project by Louis Le Vau to modify the Vieux-Château.
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View of the entrance of the château, 1685.
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Back of the courtyard of the Château-Vieux.
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Facade of the parterre side of the Château-Vieux.
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Ground floor layout after Louvois's death, 1695.
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First floor layout after Louvois's death, 1695.
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Louvois hunting in Meudon, around 1683.
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Grande Perspective of Meudon, 17th century.
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View of the château from Fleury, 1688.
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Ground floor layout at Monseigneur's arrival, 1695.
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Ground floor layout of the Château-Vieux in 1700.
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First floor layout of the Château-Vieux, 1700.
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Cutaway of the Château-Vieux with the chapel.
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Diagram of the Château-Vieux and the chestnut tree wing.
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Château-Neuf from the parterre, around 1715.
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Diagram of the third level of the Château-Neuf.
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The Arthelon waterfall, around 1700.
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One of the two waterfalls.
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Plan for renovation of the garden, around 1710.
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The park and gardens of the château, around 1715.
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Overall map of Meudon and Chaville, 1723.
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View of Meudon from Fleury, around 1730-40.
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Drawing of decorations and fireworks at Meudon, 1756.
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West wing of the Château-Vieux, 1773.
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View from Meudon: the stair of the Petit Pont.
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Pavillon de Trivaux, 1783.
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Death of the Dauphin in Meudon, 1789.
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Return of the Dauphin (Louis XVII) at the château, 1791.
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The Château-Vieux in ruins, in 1802.
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The demolition of the Château-Vieux, 1804.
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Workers moving a column from the château, around 1804.
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Demolition of the Château-Vieux, 1806.
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Diagram of the Château-Vieux demolition, 1805.
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Columns from the château, moved to the Senate.
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Napoleon I, as King of Italy, 1805.
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Drawing for the terrace under Napoleon I, around 1808.
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Château de Meudon around 1812.
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Layout of the third level of the Château-Neuf under Napoleon I, 1812.
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Seating ordered by Napoleon I for Meudon.
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Fireplace from around 1810-1811.
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Table with gilded bronze and white marble.
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Console with gilded bronze and white marble.
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Chandelier in the Château-Neuf gallery, around 1811.
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Fireplace from the Château Neuf gallery.
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Meudon, from the stud farm walls, around 1825.
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Detail of Sèvres porcelain showing Château-Neuf.
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Stables at Meudon, preserved.
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19th-century stall from the stables.
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Château-Neuf de Meudon around 1860.
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Meudon from the upper terrace.
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Reception for Louis I of Portugal at the Château-Neuf.
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The Château-Neuf after the fire of 1871.
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Photograph of the Château-Neuf after the fire, 1871.
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View of Meudon after the war of 1871.
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Interior of the Château-Neuf after the 1871 fire.
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Aerial view of the Orangery and Château-Neuf remains.
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Aerial view of the terrace with the avenue.
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Aerial view of the old stables.
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Aerial view of the terrace at Meudon.
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Aerial view of the Grande Perspective.
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Aerial view of Paris from Meudon.
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View of Paris from Meudon, 2013.
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The great dome of the observatory.
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Remains of the Château-Neuf, now an observatory.
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L'Orangerie de Meudon, 17th century, restored in 2012.
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View of the château's common buildings, 2009.
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The buttresses of the terrace, 2013.
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The Grande Perspective at Meudon, 2010.
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Panoramic view of the Grande Terrasse, 2013.
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Small vestibule, 1658 to 1803.
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Cross-section of the Grand Escalier.
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Cross-section of the Grand Vestibule.
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Latone et les paysans de Lycie.
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Hercules Between Voluptuousness and Virtue.
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Hercules Bringing Alceste Out of the Hells.
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Arabesques on gold background by Claude Audran III.
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The Alexander of Mazarin.
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Bust of the painter Raphaël.
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Bust of Annibal Carrache.
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Jupiter and Junon, bronzes.
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Elevation of the North wall.
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Elevation of the East wall.
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Elevation of the South wall.
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Elevation of the West wall.
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3D restoration of Louis XIV's Mirror Cabinet.
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Psyché découvrant l'Amour endormi.
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Cutaway of the chapel tribune.
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Draft cutaway of the chapel.
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Final plan of the chapel.
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Token representing the chapel interior.
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Communicating gallery, Chestnut tree wing.
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A boar chased by eight dogs.
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Restoration of the East wall of the grand salon.
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Restoration of the South wall of the grand salon.
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Restoration of the West wall of the grand salon.
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Pithopolis serving golden dishes to King Pithès.
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Queen Giving Audience to an Old Man.
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Queen addressing soldiers.
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The entrance of the labyrinth.
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The fountain of the dragon.
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The interior of the labyrinth.
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Map of the Grotto de Meudon.
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Décor project for the Grotto.
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Grotto of Meudon in an imaginary landscape.
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Château-Neuf from the parterre.
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Third level of the Château-Neuf.
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Cutaway of the Château-Neuf.
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Levels 2 and 4 of the Château-Neuf.
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Grilles du Château-Neuf de Meudon.
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The lower grille of the Château-Neuf.
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Fireback with the Dauphin's arms.
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Photograph Château-Neuf, around 1860.
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Décor of the upper vestibule.
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Pedestal of the vestibule.
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Décor of the upper vestibule.
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Detail of the cornice in the upper vestibule.
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Cutaway of the upper vestibule.
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Reconstruction, seen from the upper vestibule.
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Cutaway of the guard room.
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A sleeping dog, and a greyhound.
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Cutaway of the parade chamber.
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Elevation of the parade chamber.
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Six of the twelve grotesque months.
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Design of the chamber woodwork.
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Décor project for the alcove.
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Balustrade in gilded wood.
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Cross-section of half the gallery.
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Cross-section of half the gallery.
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Plan of half the gallery.
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Diagram of the gallery elevation.
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Details of the fireplace and consoles.
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Cyrus questioning the king of Armenia.
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Nero Ordering the Death of Agrippine.
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L'orangerie of Meudon, 2013.
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The nymphaeum above the orangery.
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Orangery of Meudon before restoration, 2010.
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Inside the bastion of the orangery, 2014.
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Orangery of the Château-Neuf.
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Interior of Orangery, Château-Neuf.
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Print of the Grande Perspective.
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Aerial view of the Grande Perspective.
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Aerial view of the château avenue.
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Diagram of the Grande Perspective, 2015.
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The Low Gardens of Meudon.
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Detail of the low gardens.
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"Meudon. The 2 châteaux united".
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3D restoration of the low gardens.
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Quarter of the parterre of the Grotto.
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Recreated view from the "Parasol".
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South semi-circle of the Bel Air basin, 2010.
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Elevation of the stone cabinet.
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View from the bastion of the Capucins.
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Binding with the Dauphin's arms.
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See also
In Spanish: Palacio de Meudon para niños