Majestically overlooking the rich lands of Normandy, the Château du Champ de Bataille, owned by Jacques Garcia, is a true jewel of 17th and 18th century architecture, furniture and French gardens. Built by Count Alexandre de Créqui between 1653 and 1665, this sumptuous château was purchased by Jacques Garcia twenty years ago in a very poor state. It was with passion that he undertook the restoration of the château to restore it to its former splendour and make it his home. The elegant rooms of the château are furnished with a priceless collection of paintings, sculptures, porcelain, silverware and furniture, many of which come from the collections of the Court of France. Vast and sumptuous gardens, probably designed by Le Nôtre and conceived by Jacques Garcia and his friend Patrick Pottier, extend over more than thirty-eight hectares. A prodigious hydraulic system equal to that of the Palace of Versailles supplies magnificent fountains and ornamental pools. Classical temples, an ancient theater and marble statues surprise and amaze visitors who stroll along the paths. Not far away, below, hidden from view, stands the very secret Pavilion of Dreams, imagined and entirely built by Jacques Garcia from authentic remains, a true ode to the Mughal India that he adores. This superbly illustrated work will be a real discovery for specialists in French art and a source of inspiration for all those who are passionate about interior decoration and the art of restoration.
