Château de Malmaison

Château de Malmaison, a beautiful manor house, is today a Napoleonic National Museum. It is closely linked to Napoleon and in particular his wife Joséphine de Beauharnais. She bought the property in 1799 for her and her husband when he was still a general. At that moment the acquisition price of over 300.000 francs was much too expensive for his taste.

Much money was spent for renovations, the interior and the gardens with exotic plants, animals, her famous rose garden and a heated orangerie for 300 pineapple plants. However it has always been a place of happiness for them, even after their compulsory divorce, when Joséphine received Malmaison in her own right. She remained there until her death in 1814.

In 1842 Malmaison was sold to the widow of King Ferdinand VII of Spain, Marie Christina, who in turn sold it again to Napoleon III.

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