Imagine stepping back to the late 18th century here at the Pavillon chinois de Cassan. This surprising structure sits about 25 km from Paris. It stands in the heart of the Val d’Oise.
The Pavillon chinois de Cassan is said to have sprung from the imagination of a wealthy man. He was the heir to a dynasty of financiers and patrons. This octagonal creation dates back to between 1781 and 1785.
Pierre-Jacques Bergeret de Grandcourt is credited with its creation. This was after a trip to Italy with his father and the famous painter Fragonard. Legend says Fragonard spent nearly ten years with the Bergeret family. He supposedly helped design and embellish it.
Bergeret owned the estate where the Pavillon chinois de Cassan stands. He followed the late 18th-century trend. This trend involved decorating English gardens with Chinese architectural features. China fascinated the Western world back then. Incorporating this culture added emotion and wonder to a rigid society.
The Pavillon chinois de Cassan is an architectural feat. It has an octagonal shape. It stands proudly on a stone base. The base supports the wooden pavilion with its copper roof. The base houses a cool room with Doric columns. A circular basin sits in the center. It regulates the water.
The Pavillon chinois de Cassan reflects Buddhist temples. Its double pagoda-shaped roof rests on a peristyle of eight wooden pillars. A mast with bronze bells tops it. The pavilion’s decor draws from traditional pagoda motifs. Colors like imperial yellow, protective red, and natural green appear. They show a quest for harmony with nature. Black and white represent the mystical yin and yang.
Before the Revolution, guardian lions stood here. They were stolen. Stone reproductions replaced them. The male with his paw on a globe and the female with her paw on a cub warded off evil spirits.
Bergeret wanted to add more pavilions. The French Revolution in 1789 halted his plans. Bergeret was arrested during the Reign of Terror. He survived but had to sell his properties quickly. This included the Cassan estate.
The Cassan chateau’s last remnants were razed in 1908. In the early 20th century, the Béjot chateau replaced it. Allied bombing heavily damaged it in 1944. It was torn down in 1960.
The Parc de Cassan’s developer gave it to the town in 1972 after years of neglect. Architect Olivier Choppin de Janvry and his team restored it. Michel Poniatowski, mayor of L’Isle-Adam, opened the Pavillon chinois de Cassan on June 21, 1975. Michel Guy, Secretary of State for Culture, attended. Another restoration occurred from 2007 to 2008. It focused on the upper structure and the cool room’s foundations.
A magnificent gate enhances the garden. It stood at the Cassan chateau’s entrance in 1907. Jacques Béjot bought it around 1906. It was from the Place Clichy hippodrome in Paris, saving it from demolition. The Pavillon chinois de Cassan is a treasure. It proudly represents L’Isle-Adam.