Maison des musiciens italiens, Historical residence in Versailles, France.
The Maison des Italiens is a two-storey rocaille house at 15 rue Champ-Lagarde, built in 1752 by Jacques Hardouin-Mansart for the Countess of Argenson. Its pale facade has tall multi-paned windows with carved keystones above the bays, a low iron fence at the base, and a steep slate roof with dormer windows and a chimney. Lower white wings extend to the left, facing a lawn with cone-shaped shrubs.
The house was built in 1752 by architect Jacques Hardouin-Mansart for the Countess of Argenson, replacing an earlier building that had belonged to Italian castrato singers. This connection to musical history is reflected in the property's name today.
The house is sometimes wrongly called Maison des musiciens italiens; the name recalls the castrati of Louis XIV's chapel, though the present building replaced their pavilion. Since 1986 it has been the headquarters of the Union compagnonnique des compagnons du tour de France des devoirs unis, a private craftsmen's body, so the interior is not open to visitors.
The house at 15 rue Champ-Lagarde is a private building and the seat of the Union compagnonnique des compagnons du tour de France des devoirs unis since 1986, so it is not open to visitors. The facade, the low iron fence and the slate roof with dormers can be seen from the street. The garden side faces an open grassy area with cone-shaped shrubs.
When botanist Louis-Guillaume Le Monnier owned the property until 1799, it featured a botanical garden with scientific collections. After his death, the estate was subdivided and the garden lost its original purpose.
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