LIEUX à DECOUVRIR

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Le Parc de Bagatelle, en plein cœur du Bois de Boulogne, fait partie du Jardin Botanique  de Paris.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Il Il est reconnu comme étant un des plus prestigieux de la capitale : On y découvre des grottes, des étendues fleuries, des beaux bâtiments et des arbres gigantesques…                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                On y trouve forcément un coin à notre goût pour un pique-nique romantique.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Le Parc de Bagatelle est né en 1777 à la suite d’un pari entre Marie-Antoinette et son beau-frère le Comte D’Artois (frère de Louis XVI et futur roi Charles X).

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Ce dernier avait acquis cet ancien terrain de chasse des rois deux ans plus tôt. Taquine, la Reine l’a mis au défi de le rénover alors qu’elle partait en voyage pour deux mois.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Le Comte l’a prise au mot et l’histoire devient alors étourdissante.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Pour la « Bagatelle » de quelques millions de livres, le Parc est entièrement reconstruit en 64 jours !

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Les plans ont été conçus par François-Joseph Bélanger en une nuit et ce sont quelques 900 ouvriers qui ont travaillé sans relâche sur le chantier.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Le style, qui a un peu changé depuis, est inspiré des jardins anglais et chinois, ce qui était très tendance à l’époque.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               On y trouve d’ailleurs une sublime pagode chinoise du XIXème siècle.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Aujourd’hui, sur ses 24 hectares, le parc comporte plusieurs bâtiments dont l’Orangerie et les Écuries.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Il est organisé autour de divers jardins :

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          On passe de la nature brute avec des grottes et des cascades à des petits ponts, des fontaines et des jardins plantés selon des thèmes comme le jardin d’Iris ou le potager.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Mais, la partie qui vaut certainement  le plus le détour est la Roseraie. Réputée dans le monde entier, elle comporte près de 10 000 plants de 1 200 espèces.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Tous les ans, depuis 1907, le concours international de Rose attire les curieux.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Follement romantique et charmant, Bagatelle a l’avantage de ne pas être surpeuplé, et ce, même en plein été.  Il y a de fortes chances que l’on rencontre des paons !

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Ce majestueux animal se balade en liberté et agrémente nos discussions de son cri si reconnaissable : « Léon ».

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Chaque été, de nombreuses animations sont prévues et la part belle est faite aux expositions et aux concerts.