Projects

Theater of the Château de Compiègne

American Friends of the Château de Compiègne came into existence inspired by a successful fund raising effort among North Carolinians who had forged personal connections to the city of Compiègne, France through a multitude of cross-cultural exchanges over a period of many years.

This first project focused on the restoration of the magnificent chandelier in the Petit Théâtre of the Château. It was Louis Phillippe who had this jewel box of a theater built on the occasion of the marriage of his daughter Louise to Leopold I, King of the Belgians, in 1832. Performances by theatrical companies from Paris continued until the fall of the Second Empire.

The theater, in its original state, possesses, among other treasures, an unsurpassed set of scenery panels created by the famous set designer, Luc-Charles Cicéri, and his atelier. Amazingly, the backstage machinery that operates the set-changing apparatus is still in working order. Suspended above the rows of red and gold seats, flanked by a double tier of balconies, the restored chandelier has brought this elegant theater back to life.

Music Room of the Empress

The next project of AFCDC will be the restoration of the Music Room. Empress Eugénie herself supervised the decoration of this room, in which she delighted to receive distinguished guests for musical evenings during the famous “Series” at the Château de Compiègne.

For a period of a month and a half in the fall, special trains brought the most notable personages of the time to the Château, where the entertainments in the Music Room were the highlight of their visit. Of the 1400 rooms in the Château, the Music Room is the most important example of the personal taste of Empress Eugénie.

Although some limited restoration of a few remarkable examples of Second Empire furniture has been undertaken, the Music Room and its furnishings are in a precarious condition. Furniture, tapestries, draperies, and rugs are among items at risk and urgently needing restoration.

Miraculously, France still has artisans knowledgeable in the precise techniques used by the masters who created these magnificent objects, so that they can be restored exactly to their original glory.

American Friends of the Château de Compiègne is privileged to participate in the conservation of this extremely significant room, which encapsulates the spirit of intimate hospitality so characteristic of the royal and imperial sojourns at Compiègne.