Parc Monceau / The Folly Garden of the Duke of Chartres

Allyson M. Lovell

The Folly Garden of the Duke of Chartres was originally built in 1779 in Paris, France. It was bought by the city of Paris in 1840 and is now known as Parc Monceau. It was breathtaking to see the Parc Monceau in person on my recent study abroad trip to Paris. Upon ascending out of the Metro, I immediately noticed the massive black and gold Chinese-style gate and the rotunda. Reading about the architecture of Monceau and its eccentric nature is one thing, but seeing it in person, surrounded by bustling modern Paris was something absolutely different. Today, the park features a quaint children’s carousel, a snack shack with warm beverages, sandwiches, crêpes, etc., a few remaining follies, a walking path, and a large open field for children, families, and pets to roam free in the sunshine. The Duke’s aim was to create a garden that was much like a landscape painting that one could step into. If that isn’t awe-inspiring enough, on the day I visited, it was covered in a blanket of snow!

Monceau Entrance, Rotunda, originally built as an observation point along the “Wall of the Farmers General” and Gate, originally made for the Folly Garden of the Duke of Chartres, 1779 (photo: Allyson M. Lovell)

The Duke of Chartres, who was who was the nephew of King Louis XVI, was also a known Anglophile, and was often ridiculed in court for his obsession and, frankly, for his goofiness. Since the Duke loved all things English, he wanted to recreate the English garden on his property in France. English gardens were quite different from French Gardens. English gardens often featured a variety of plants growing freely, weeds included, and they did not have much structure. French gardens, on the other hand, were organized in geometric patterns, and even shrubbery was often formed into spheres and triangles. Monceau, though modeled after the English garden, is still very French in terms of its neat organization of the follies and well-defined walking paths.

Drawing from the idea of the English garden and the folly garden as well as the picturesque garden, architect Louis Carrogis Carmontelle made his version of the picturesque garden a source of both entertainment and novelty, and I think Monceau is just that. The garden originally featured a number of “follies” and was comparable to an 18th-century amusement park.

Colonnade, originally built for the Folly Garden of the Duke of Chartres, 1779 (photo: Jessica Medeiros)

Some of these follies included a miniature ancient Egyptian pyramid, a Roman colonnade, antique statues, a pond of water lilies, a Turkish tent, a farmhouse, a Dutch windmill, a temple of Mars, a minaret, an Italian vineyard, an enchanted grotto, and a Gothic building. Many of these exotic additions to the garden were made of cheap materials, and therefore weathered rather quickly. The only follies remaining are the Roman colonnade, the pyramid, and the mysterious grotto.

Grotto, originally built for the Folly Garden of the Duke of Chartres, 1779. Note the snow still on the ground:            March 19, 2018 (photo: Camryn Perry)

Symbols of Freemasonry abound in this garden, from the underground cave-like grotto where secretive Masonic meetings and rituals took place to the symbolism of the pyramid that is tied to the Freemasons. The Duke of Chartres was known to be a prominent member of the Freemasonry Brotherhood. In Freemasonry, triangles were representative of sacred geometry, as well as a symbol of the “divine architect,” making the miniature pyramid quite an obvious allusion to the Duke’s involvement with the Freemasons.

Pyramid, originally built for the Folly Garden of the Duke of Chartres, 1779. March 19, 2018 (photo: Camryn Perry)

The Folly Garden of the Duke of Chartres is not simply a garden, or even just a folly garden. It is more like a place that transports the viewer into another world. It is much like a landscape painting that we can step into. Especially when all the original follies were still in place, experiencing Monceau was like experiencing an Opera—fully immersive and entertaining. Upon visiting, I realized how true this is. When you’re having a stroll in Parc Monceau, it is easy to forget the bustling city around you.

If I lived in Paris, this park would be where I would go to escape the city and be immersed into a world of nature and contemplation. I think the architects of Monceau succeeded in creating a natural garden space that really serves as so much more, and remains admired centuries later. In the eighteenth century, it served as a pleasure garden and a place of recreation and secret Masonic meetings. After the City of Paris bought Monceau in 1840, it became a natural spot loved by artists and writers. Today, it remains one of the only “green spots” for children to play in, and adults to wander in. Monceau was, and remains, a place of mystery and wonder.

Sources Consulted

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