Louveciennes

Situated on a privileged place between the Seine and the forest, Louveciennes preserve the intimacy of a quiet and peacefull village. From its rich historic past remains buildings and parks and a great artistic testimony, from impressionnists painters most of all.

History

 

At the Middle-Age, Louveciennes was a village of farmer and wine growers. Its economic development is due to Louis XIV who build the estate of Marly and the water machine, located near the banks of Louveciennes.
During the 18th and 19th centuries many chateaux and middle-class mansions have been built. On this period, Louveciennes became a high artistic place : architecture, literature, music, painting and particularly impressionism.
More than 120 works of Renoir, Sisley, Pissarro and Monet have been painted in Louveciennes.
Several celebrities choose also this village as a place of residence : Maupassant, Proust, Leconte de Lisle, Camille Saint-Saëns, Elisabeth Vigée Lebrun... And in the 20th century Anais Nïn, the military chief Joffre, Charles Münch, Julien Caïn...

To see

>

The village :

To discover the city you may have an itinerary called "Liaison verte", its available at the Tourist Office. Not less than seven châteaux are situated in Louveciennes, mostly are closed to visitors.
Chateau du Pont : the oldest building of the city. To see : the bridge and its ditches.
Chateau de Madame du Barry : former house of the Machine's governor, it's in 1769 that Louis XV decided to offer this estate to his mistress, du Barry comtess who lived there until 1793. Today the domain has been restored and is open to visit, ask Tourist Office.
Next to this estate is situated the "Music House" of Du Barry Comtess, every year from Octobre to April a season of guided tour and concerts is organized. Ask Tourist Office for further information.
Chateau de Voisins : actually property of the french bank BNP Paribas, it was formerly the property of the princess
of Conti who was the grand-daughter of Louis XIV and Mme de Montespan.
Chateau de Beauséjour : restored at the end of the 19th century, it's today the city hall.
Chateau de Louveciennes : it's used to say that it has been the workshop of the famous painter Elisabeth
Vigée Lebrun.
Chateau de Vernes : it's a place for exhibitions.
Chateau de Prunay : it's a private estate dating from the 17th century.

 

The water machine :

Built on the Seine river in 1681, it's used to say that the water machine of Marly had been the "eight wonder of the world" . Made by two belgian architect on demand of Louis XIV to feed in water estate of Versailles and Marly. To learn more about the history of the Machine of Marly, you may visit the Musée-Promenade where a room is dedicated to the machine. After the visit of the museum, you may following the "water course" until the Seine river. You will see the Aqueduct, work of Jules Hardouin Mansart, it develops its 36 arcs on 650 meters ended in each extremity by two massive tours. You will also discover remains of the machine like a canal wich is still visible and building.

The Impressionnists

Following the Impressionnists' paintings is another way to discover the city. This colourful patchwork of paintings spread over 4 kilometers from the wood of Louveciennes to banks of the Seine river. This itinerary is available on the "Liaison Verte" and is also part of the Impressionnists Road, that you could also discover on this link.