Marly-le-Roi

 

Entered in history in 697 the village was splited into two parts : Marly le Chastel and Marly le Bourg. Louis XIV united both region and Marly became Marly le Roi. In the 19th century. This country village attracted many artists, writers and painters who appreciated its peaceful way of life.

History

 

Louis XIV use to hunt in the Marly's forest, he really appreciate this ground and as he was looking for a place to build a new chateau, more intimate thanVersailles, he decided to buy the two villages (Marly le Chastel and Marly le Bourg) to create a new city : Marly le Roi.

Works begin in 1679, buildings are entrusted to Jules Hardouin-Mansart and gardens to André LeNôtre. Louis XIV come to stay for the first time in 1686. The estate is composed by a castle, located in the centre. At each side 6 pavilions are dedicated to welcome the king's guests and successive pools are animated by fountains.

In 18th century Marly failed to disappear. Horses statues sculpted by Antoine Coysevox leave Marly to Paris and on demand of Louis XV a second group of horses, sculpted by Guillaume Coustou, came to replace them on the Watering place. Louis XV and Marie-Antoinette are the last kings to stay in Marly. After the French Revolution, the estate is neglected and in 1799, an industrialist buy it to Imperial House. But, in 1816, in ruins, the château is destroyed.

During the 19th century, the village attracts many artists, painters and writers like Alexandre Dumas' son, Alfed Sisley or Artistide Maillol.. In 1932 Marly's estate is listed and in 1980 copies of Horses statues come to decorate the Watering place. Since 2002 copies of statues of the former estate are put to decorate the park and in 2007 the Watering place has been restored.

To see

The village :

 

Situated on border of the park. You may take the main street from the Tourist Office to discover it ; an itinerary is available on downloading, click there to see it.
To see : typical houses and mansions dating from 18th and 19th centuries, cobbled streets, gardens, Saint-Vigor church. It could be also a reason to discover all specialities of the restaurants in the main street : italian, moorish, indian and french of course.

The park :

This former royal estate was a somptuous retreat, built to an unusual design by Jules Hardouin-Mansart on demand of the Sun King, Louis XIV. The estate was destroyed in the early years of the 19th century, and only the ground remain. A remarkable site in the edge of the marly forest, it still hold reminders of its past splendour : the great avenues and lines of trees that bear witness to the original layout, the ponds, the fragment of architecture that remain, and the outline on the ground of the château and its four appartments ; in the exquisitely fine water trough, on the downstream edge of the park, still intact and with its two pools surmounted by the famous masterpiece of Guillaume Coustou, the Marly horses (originals are in the Louvre museum).

Opening hours :
From 1st of November to 31th of March from 8:00 to 17h30.
From 1st to 30th of April from 8:00 to 18h30.
From 1st of May to 30th of September from 7:30 to 19h30 (during July and August from 7:30 to 21:00).
From 1st to 31th of October from 8:00 to 18:30.

The forest :

 

The national forest of Marly covers 2000 ha. A part of this area was the former hunting grounds of kings and after presidents of the French Republic (hunting has been canceled in 1995 by Jacques Chirac). Closed today, visitors could discover it with the "Ecole de la campagne et de la forêt". This "school" welcome children for curses about fauna and flora and also organize guided tours with Tourist Office. Ask them for further information.

The forest offers walking tours to nature loving visitors, beautiful points of view and historic remains. Here is also located the Désert de Retz, a "folly" created in the 18th century by M de Monville. It's possible to visit park and its buildings.