Bagatelle Château

In the northwestern part of the Bois de Boulogne in Paris, set in beautiful gardens, is a charming little château in the style of the late 18th C, when the nobility met here for hunting or festive parties. Bagatelle is the only one of the four châteaux in the Bois de Boulogne which was not destroyed during the Revolution. It got its name in 1720, when the Duchesse d'Estrées built a little country house here. After several changes of ownership the château fell into ruin. It was acquired in 1772 by the young Comte d'Artois (later Charles X); then, when his sister-in- law Marie-Antoinette wagered 100,000 livres that he would not be able to restore the elegant little château within two months, he engaged 900 workmen, who managed to complete a