The Château de Malmaison, from residence to museum

We don't really know the origin of the name Malmaison, which means "bad house". Whether the place was occupied by Norman brigands in the Middle Ages, or the town was known for taking care of sick people, the mystery remains.

In 1390, Guillaume Goudet, sergeant-at-arms to Charles VI, acquired the estate, which remained in his family until 1763, through the Dauvergne, Perrot and Barentin families. In 1763, the estate passed to the son of Chancellor d'Aguesseau, then in 1771 to Jacques-Jean Le Couteulx du Molay, a wealthy banker of the kingdom. Madame du Molay held a literary salon there, where she entertained the Abbé Delille, Mme Vigée-Lebrun, Grimm and Bernardin de Saint-Pierre.

During the Revolution, Malmaison was sold and passed into the hands of Josephine Bonaparte. From 1800 to 1802, this small château became, along with the Tuileries, the seat of French government, where Consulate ministers frequently met. In 1802, the family moved to Saint-Cloud, and Joséphine returned regularly to the"Palais Impérial de Malmaison" to develop and enlarge the estate. The house reverted to her after her divorce in 1809, and she died there in 1814.

Now transformed into a museum, the Château de Malmaison unveils a number of richly decorated rooms featuring a rich collection of works dating back to the early reign of Napoleon 1st. From furniture and paintings to weapons and porcelain, this museum is a mine of discovery.

It also allows you to enter into the life of the couple and their children, thanks to the reconstruction of various rooms from the period. These include Napoleon's famous mahogany library and the oval room where Josephine lived out her days. The Musée National des Châteaux de Malmaison et de Bois-Préau also boasts an exceptional collection of memorabilia from Emperor Napoleon's exile on the island of St. Helena from 1815 to his death in 1821.

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Of course, the site also offers themed tours, allowing you to delve deeper into the history of this historic couple. In particular, you'll discover their passion for botany and roses, their original name. And don't miss the old roses garden, a rose garden with almost 150 varieties to delight your senses.

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