Parc Bagatelle - la Roseraie

The Parc de Bagatelle began with a royal wager. In 1777, the Comte d'Artois, who was the brother of King Louis XVI, purchased this site and boasted about his plans to build a new residence. Queen Marie-Antoinette challenged his confidence, claiming the project would take months to complete. The Count accepted the bet and ordered his architect to finish the work in under three months. By employing nine hundred laborers who worked around the clock, he completed the estate in just sixty-four days. Because the project was considered a frivolous extravagance, the site became known as a bagatelle, which is a French term for a trifle or something of little importance.