versailles

One-Of-A-Kind Remy Martin Louis XIII Decanter for Sale at $70,000

On March 12 in Singapore the renowned House of Rémy Martin will offer a unique decanter of its famed Louis XIII cognac (above) from the 1930s for sale at about $70,000. The precious elixir will be on offer at the Master of Spirits event organized by DFS, one of the world's leading travel retailers, in partnership with Changi Airport. The Baccarat crystal decanter contains Louis XIII Grande Champagne Très Vieille Age Inconnu cognac dating back to the mid-19th Century, a crown jewel of the House of Rémy Martin.

The decanter, certified by the Rémy Martin's cellar master Pierrette Trichet, was created from a series of carafes that were served as part of a royal banquet in 1938 at the château de Versailles in the presence of His Majesty King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. It comes presented in a unique seamless full-grain leather and rare wood box set. In addition, Rémy Martin will offer for sale two of the last remaining carafes of Louis XIII Rare Cask and one magnum decanter of Louis XIII Black Pearl at the prestigious event.

Tags: Asia, Baccarat, brandy, cognac, decanter, France, Louis XIII, Louis XIII Black Pearl, Louis XIII cognac, Queen Elizabeth, rare spirits, Rémy Martin, Remy Martin Black Pearl, Remy Martin Louis XIII, royalty, Singapore, spirits, Versailles

Versailles Complex To Include Luxury Hotel

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

If you've ever dreamed of staying at the Palace of Versailles you may soon get your chance. Not at the actual palace alas, but at the Hotel du Grand Controle, a smaller outbuilding that is the traditional home of the chateau's treasurers. The building will become a 23-bedroom luxury establishment with views out onto the Orangerie or the ornamental lake. The AFP reported that a concession has been granted to the Belgian company Ivy International SA. The company will renovate and develop the satellite building. The company is also working on a similar project in the Brittany area of France.

The building was built in the 1680s by the architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart and served as an officers' mess until 2006. Reports say that the venerable building isn't in the best shape. Ivy will pay for the renovations which are estimated to cost $7.3 million and the company will pay Versailles an annual fee to lease the building. The move is part of a new way that France is looking at its treasures, finding ways to get them to generate enough money to pay for their upkeep. The new hotel is expected to open at the end of 2011.

Tags: france, luxury hotel, versailles

The Battle Over Murakami's Versailles Exhibit

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

Versailles has gotten a little whimsical kick lately in the form of an exhibit from Japanese pop artist Takashi Murakami. But according to the Wall Street Journal, not everyone is a fan. Prince Sixte-Henri de Bourbon-Parmet, a descendant of Louis XIV wants to stop the exhibit long before it is set to end in December. The prince says that the colorful exhibit dishonors his family and French culture in general.

The exhibit at the Château de Versailles is set to run September 14 through December 12 and features installations in the gilded Hall of Mirrors as well as other palace rooms. The exhibit includes a total of 22 works by Murakami. Of the 22 works on display in 15 rooms, 11 were created specifically for this event. Before the exhibit opened in September a group called the Coordination Défense de Versailles launched a petition against the installation. It has now gathered over 7,000 signatures. The Murakami Versailles Facebook page is full of people giving their opinions. Some find the exhibit fabulous, others see it as an outrage.

ArtInfo rounded up a bunch of responses from critics around the world and found a similar polarity of thought. Le Figaro blogger Sébastien Le Fol commented that the show was cute and appealing but found that the pieces didn't really engage with the surroundings in Versailles. Many of the critics mentioned that they were sure that the exhibit, with its bright colors and manga inspiration, would be popular but that it as Le Monde art critic Harry Bellet said, "it makes you think that contemporary art collectors are big kids."

Gallery: Takashi Murakami's Versailles Exhibit

Tags: Takashi Murakami, versailles

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Has Florida's $100 Million Home Already Had A Price Cut?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

We've mentioned this one a couple of times since Homes of the Rich brought it to our attention but now the Palm Beach Post has a piece on a little slice of real estate hubris in Florida dubbed Versailles. The property which still shows a listing price of $100 million on real estate agent Lorraine Barrett's website might actually be a bit lower priced now. The Post says that the home has an asking price of $75 million.

Tags: david siegel, florida, florida real estate, lake butler, versailles, windemere

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L'Wren Scott and the Return of du Barry Red

by Jeffrey Slonim (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Charity

In a brief but exclusive interview with Luxist, designer L'Wren Scott, Mick Jagger's gal pal, describes her single-handed revival of a scarlet luxe with a history.

Both the style and charm of Madame du Barry, who, like Marie Antoinette met the guillotine for her extravagance, have been significantly underappreciated historically. Wearing her own dreamy spring collection at a Haiti benefit, press-shy designer L'Wren Scott, model turned stylist and now Mick Jagger's girlfriend, sets the record straight.

Versailles, Sunday, 22 April, 1769, Presentation of Madame du Barry at Court

"Richelieu had ordered a dress fit for a queen with enormous panniers of silver and gold cloth bespattered with diamonds and a train of inordinate length. . . . The extraordinary thing about Jeanne du Barry was that, for all her sordid past, she still managed to look as innocent as any virgin, with a skin so delicate it hardly required any rouge, teeth of dazzling whiteness in a small, naturally scarlet mouth, blue, yes, made all the softer by their long dark lashes." Joan Haslip, "The Wages of Beauty"

May 6, 2010 L'Wren Scott, in a nod to Louix XV's famously big-spending mistress, wears du Barry red to a Manhattan benefit for victims of the Haiti earthquake.

RxHaiti was a benefit that counted. On Monday, May 6, a well-populated rooftop cocktail soiree and auction in New York, hosted by Mick Jagger and designer L'Wren Scott, benefited earthquake survivors in need of replacement limbs.

On a sparkling, clear evening atop the 20-story Scholastic building in SoHo, a wrinkly Mick Jagger bounded into the room wearing fresh New Balance running shoes, skinny jeans, a gray blazer with schoolboy dark edging around the lapel, and the characteristic lips and undone coif. In the open air, next to gal pal L'Wren Scott, who towers a head taller, Jagger brandished a Sharpie to sign the glossy keyboard cover of a screaming red baby grand being auctioned to raise funds for prosthetic limbs. A vast glass atrium, also on the roof, housed further auction items, including guitars signed by Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Bono. A handler correctly mentioned to actress Rachel Weisz that her buddy Naomi Watts would turn up at any moment. "I love charities that focus on something very specific," Weisz told Luxist.

Tags: fashion, lwren scott, madame du barry, marie antoinette, mick jagger, naomi watts, new york city, rachel weisz, rx haiti, style, versailles

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Gordon Ramsay Selling Out of Versailles

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Last week we learned that celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay had sold his restaurants in West Hollywood and Prague, now the Telegraph says that Ramsay is set to sell his restaurant in France. Like the West Hollywood restaurant, Gordon Ramsay au Trianon opened just last year with the usual Ramsay mixture of fanfare and braggadocio. Ramsay promised the French he would bring the best of British cuisine to their country.

The ten-table restaurant, which earned two Michelin stars, will be owned by the Trianon Palace Hotel in Versailles. As with the West Hollywood restaurant, Ramsay's name stays on the door and he will still be participating in menu development and other creative decisions. There have been many rumors about the potential fragility of the financial state of affairs at Gordon Ramsay Holdings, Ramsay's company. Perhaps these sales will help Ramsay's empire gain firmer footing.

Gallery: Restaurant Woes

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Tags: gordon ramsay, GordonRamsay, restaurant, versailles

Jeff Koons Invades Versailles

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

Art world provocateur Jeff Koons has ruffled feathers in France by installing his immense, kitschy statues in the storied Palace of Versailles. The groundbreaking exhibition, which opened Wednesday and runs through December, features 17 Koons works including a giant balloon dog, enormous aluminum lobster, and a ceramic ode to Michael Jackson and his pet chimp Bubbles. As my colleague Deidre Woollard reported previously, Koons' 3,500 lb. Hanging Heart sculpture fetched $23.4 million at auction in November.

The opening of the exhibition drew a crowd of protestors who consider the Koons show an affront to France. "This exhibit is sacrilegious and insulting to the symbols of the Republic and its art," Arnaud-Aaron Upinsky, president of the Union Nationale des Ecrivains de France, fumed to the AP. However Koons insists he has "complete respect for Versailles [and] complete respect for each individual coming to Versailles."

Tags: Contemporary art, ContemporaryArt, France, Jeff Koons, JeffKoons, Versailles

Famed Trianon Palace Hotel's $30 Million Makeover

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels

The legendary Trianon Palace hotel and spa in Versailles, France where the likes of Marcel Proust, René Lacoste and the Duke of Windsor once frolicked has just completed a breathtaking $30 million renovation. Situated just outside Paris less than a mile from Louis XIV's famed Château de Versailles, the 5-star luxury hotel's upgrades include a new wing, Gordon Ramsay's first restaurant in France, a refurbished Guerlain spa, revamped public spaces and glorious gardens. Noted interior designer Fiona Thompson, who oversaw renovations to the 199-room property, has managed to modernize the 1909 building without detracting from its historic magnificence.

Gallery: Hotel Trianon Palace