Pré-Catelan Garden

The Pré-Catelan garden sits in the heart of the Bois de Boulogne, a sprawling public park that was once the private hunting ground of French kings. This meadow holds two competing origin stories for its name. One credits Théophile Catelan, who served as the captain of the royal hunts under Louis XIV. The other tells of a tragic medieval troubadour named Arnault Catelan, who was murdered in these woods while traveling to deliver gifts to the royal court. A stone cross still stands at the entrance to the grounds, said to be a marker for where the troubadour was found.