Exhibition – The destiny of a princess of Monaco at Chantilly

Marie-Catherine of Brignole-Sale, Princess of Monaco (1739-1813) and, from 1808, Princess of Condé, was one of the leading political and artistic figures of the second half of the 18th century. A leading patron with a limitless imagination, she transformed Betz, in France’s Oise region, into a paradise on earth. The garden is the ultimate expression of her artistic journey, which began as a girl in Genoa, where she grew up surrounded by masterpieces. After moving to France, she blossomed as a patron of the arts, first in Paris and then in the countryside around Chantilly.

A princess on a quest for independence

As heir to one of Genoa’s noblest families, Marie-Catherine spent her childhood in Italy and then at the French court in Versailles, where her father was ambassador of the Republic of Genoa. Renowned for her beauty and refined manners, she was married to Prince Honoré III of Monaco. But her early marriage and the birth of her two sons were brief interludes in a life plagued by misfortune. Tormented by her husband’s tyrannical, jealous and violent nature, Marie-Catherine, now Princess of Monaco, found the courage to break free from her tormentor and successfully petitioned the courts for a legal separation in 1770.

A love of fine art

Having at last broken free from the constraints of an unhappy marriage and now in full control of her dowry, the princess found happiness and fulfilment in the company of her true love and companion, Prince Louis-Joseph de Bourbon-Condé, heir to the Palais Bourbon in Paris and the Château de Chantilly. Madame de Monaco embarked on a series of ambitious construction projects, enlisting the talents of the most renowned artists of the day. On a plot next to the Palais Bourbon, she oversaw the construction of the Hôtel de Monaco. The building, designed by renowned architect Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart with interiors in the latest style, was hailed as a masterpiece. When the couple was not residing in Paris, they spent their time at the Château de Chantilly, overseeing the transformation of its gardens, which included the construction of the hamlet and follies typical of English-Chinese gardens.

The gardens of Betz: a masterpiece of the Anglo-Chinese style

While Chantilly may have seemed idyllic, the princess preferred her “country retreat” in nearby Betz, where she could escape the hostility of the Prince of Condé’s entourage. The gardens of Betz are an outstanding example of the Anglo-Chinese garden and the culmination of the Princess of Monaco’s artistic patronage. Wandering through the garden, visitors would encounter a series of architectural follies by Hubert Robert, foreshadowing the early 19th-century taste for ruins and romanticism. These enchanting structures – a medieval tower, a Valley of Tombs, a Temple of Friendship and a hermitage where a hermit observed the strict rules imposed by the princess – captivated strollers at every turn.

Revolution and exile: the lost legacy of the Princess of Condé

The upheaval of the French Revolution soon shattered her tranquil existence in Betz. When the Prince of Condé, an opponent of the Patriotes, supporters of the revolutionary cause, emigrated in 1789 he became a leader of the counter-revolutionary armies. The princess displayed remarkable courage, remaining by her husband’s side throughout his arduous military campaigns across Europe. Renouncing the luxuries of the past, she played a key role in his command and sacrificed her personal fortune to support the war effort. Having endured many hardships, the lovers eventually found refuge in England, where they were finally able to marry in 1808. Far from the trappings of her youth, the princess breathed her last breath in a foreign land in 1813.

Most of the princess’s artistic projects were lost to the ravages of the Revolution and subsequent 19th-century alterations. Her political and artistic achievements then faded into obscurity.

The exhibition co-organised by the Condé Museum and the Archives and Library Service of the Prince’s Palace of Monaco is the first monographic show dedicated to the Princess of Monaco. It aims to improve understanding of this influential patron and her artistic vision and bring to life her magnificent palaces, parks and châteaux through sculpture, paintings, graphic art and archival materials, many on display for the first time.