Sundays at the Chateau: A STROLL AROUND THE MUSEE BERTRAND!

Just before lockdown started again in France, we escaped the chateau for an afternoon visit to a small but fascinating museum in Chateauroux, the Musee Bertrand. I had never been before, and wasn't expecting to find such varied treasures locally! The museum was the former home of Bertrand, one of Napoleon's generals, and is filled with Empire style furniture and objets d'art, but it also houses hundreds of paintings and sculptures.
As many of us are re-confined to our homes at the moment, I thought you might enjoy a gentle, virtual stroll around the museum with us...
Escape to the chateau with ’The Chateau Diaries’ 🏰
In 'Sundays at the Chateau', chatelaine Stephanie answers all your questions about life in the 16th century Chateau de Lalande, in the heart of rural France ❤️
A very special thank you to all of you who have become Patrons of the Chateau de Lalande. You have made The Chateau Diaries one of the top 1000 Patreon accounts in the world, and have transformed not only out lives here, but the future of this beautiful chateau! I’m overwhelmed by your kindness and generosity. On behalf of this beautiful chateau that will continue to survive and flourish because of you, thank you!!!
If you're interested in become a Patron of The Chateau Diaries, click here: / thechateaudiaries

[@nciolelawson]

And Philip calling the dog in the painting a “rat with a perm” hahaha!!! 🤣

[@nciolelawson]

Kat stealing Stephanie’s Chantilly was hilarious, Oh Kat never change! You’re so much fun! 😂

[@proffiesloth]

That was the most exquisite model staircase I’ve ever seen.

[@marriec09]

Fun video! In the States a commode is the cabinet that hid the chamber pot. Language is such a funny thing. Could you imagine the conversation between an American and a Frenchman, “no it’s a cabinet or sideboard with drawers!”, “no it’s a toilet!”. 😂

[@mrs.e3909]

Yes. Love the plum color with gold accents on the wall! It warms the room and looks very chic.

[@juliagaspard8523]

me too! LOVE the plum! can't wait to see it a La Lande!

[@indirajane]

Agreed! I think a plum or purple shade would look fantastic!

[@rhondathomas7952]

Love the color too. Can’t wait to see it I. The petite salon.

[@teresacarle294]

It looked 🍆eggplant to me. Thought it quite striking.

[@bernadettewatts3975]

What a lovely day out ... so enjoyed all the history and the art. Thank you for taking us along. What a treat! Much love to you all!!

[@kathleenholliday5910]

I agree!

[@secnew2852]

Stephanie your editing is awesome! Love the balance between lovely music and narration. Thank you for sharing. Stay safe.

[@lizzkitty09]

Wow that micro mosaic of the pigeons in the center of that table! Whenever I see beautiful and itricate things like this, it always just makes me stop and think about the craftsmen and women who spent so much time and effort making all of these lovely things. The work is really spectacular.

[@josephinedavidson5968]

This was a wonderful Vlog that you introduced us all yet again to History and Culture, lovely to see Dana , she is such a stylish talented and great friend, Stephanie surrounds herself with talented and wonderful people. Marie. Natalie, Selmer, Dan, to name a very few, she embraces all and encourages them with self belief , it is wonderful to witness.

[@ginahamlyn2569]

I have to agree, I think Dana is absolutely gorgeous and very chic.

[@rhondathomas7952]

You can also tell that Dana is very in touch with the local area. She probably knows the mayor of that town well. 🥰

[@CB-kn1ox]

The musical interludes made the whole experience enchanting...

[@piper6541]

I am wondering whose piece this interlude is... Thanks 😊

[@rose-marie7351]

AAAAH! That was too short!!! I could have watch for hours! It was so lovely! I love how you are not all work Stephanie, but you take times to enjoy yourself and visit beautiful places. That was wise since now you are in lockdown.

[@CarlTippins]

I believe that the instrument on the wall to the left is a Biniou (bagpipe) and the instrument on the right looks to me like a la Vielle á Roue. Part of my heritage is from the Breton and Bourbonnais regions of France. My grandfather had a Biniou that was handed down to him from his grandfather. Like northern Spain, there was a heavy Celtic influence in France from Breton to Bourbonnais. That influence lead to several bagpipe type instruments throughout France...the Musette de Cour (an instrument of pre-revolution Aristocrats); the Grande Cornemuse from Bourbonnais; the Biniou (or Biniou Koz) and the La Veuze from Brittany; the Cabrette from Auvergne; and the Chevrette (also called Cabrette and Chabrette) from Limousins.

[@janetcorey5102]

Love when take us on a adventure! I loved walking around and looking through your eyes at all the beauty we see together. I really miss my trips to France and you make me feel like I am there. Thank you, you know that you’re the best💕

[@lindabradley1054]

LOVE the background piano music!

[@rosepayeur4591]

Linda Bradley yes the background piano music is beautiful, I wish I knew what it was? By whom?

[@annewilson4891]

@@rosepayeur4591 It’s “Time Twogether” by Franz Gordon. You can find it on you tube by doing a search by its title and composer. It’s beautiful isn’t it.

[@piper6541]

@@annewilson4891 Thank you for the info 😊💕

[@cindymarie2475]

The church in the evening was breathtaking ❤

[@yummboy2]

What a wonderful museum! When I see something that I feel is the most fascinatingly beautiful thing I have ever seen, I am reminded how much beauty there is yet to be discovered. The very prospect fills me with anticipation! Thank you, Stephanie. I am most grateful.

[@cherylcarlson3315]

Love the pigeon mosaic too!! I have 30 pure white pigeons and one glorious colored one who thinks he is white but also adore the fine skils. Thank you for going and more importantly now staying in. In my town I am choosing to shelter because cases are soaring. I have a dog at my feet, cat on my shoulder, pigeons flying in autumn sky and a stash of tea, sadly no Selmar to help me get all the projects done that are driving me nuts.

[@edsamson8916]

You have such a grasp of the details for each artist! It is so refreshing.

[@carriagecottage1257]

Hi Stephanie, I continue to watch all your vlogs and find them so rich! 🦚I am a Bertrand and have done extensive research on my genealogy. My family came from your area! So interested in your video today.

[@rhondathomas7952]

Now you HAVE to go there.

[@Lilump]

13:44 Stephanie: Oh It's massive Philip: "Just like the dutch" I died lol

[@patassion]

You get it so right when you put these videos together! So wonderful!

[@evmcelroy]

Stephanie, you are a born, natural teacher. That is such a valuable talent!

[@mindakahn9964]

The micro mosaic table was the finest piece of Pietra Dura I have ever seen. I noticed that one of the oils had been donated by Jacques Balsan, who was Consuelo Vanderbilt’s second husband, I wonder how much of that collection is in that museum. It was a fabulous excursion, thank you for taking me along.

[@passplus1]

Given Stephanie's love of wallpapers, and the picture of Napoleon on his death bed, can I mention that it is very possible Napoleon's death was hastened by his wallpaper. He suspected he had been poisoned by arsenic and research has been done suggesting that this may been the case. Some interesting reading on the internet. It is also rumoured that Oscar Wilde may have felt his health was adversely affected by his wallpaper. His supposed quip: "Either this wallpaper goes, or I do" on his death bed was thought to refer to his hatred of the vulgar pattern. However, it is thought he perhaps might have suspected it as a cause.

[@nancyshaner8548]

I loved seeing this. I so enjoy seeing the sites and hearing the sounds there. Very interesting. Isn't it wonderful you can post these then we can see interesting places and hear the church bells in a far away place. I feel transported.

[@gypsy1588]

What a glorious day out before lockdown, thank you for including us. xoxo

[@cindya1904]

Stephanie, You and all with you at 🏰 Lalande have given me great joy!!!🥰 I look forward to see new and re-watched favorites!!! ...💝Blessing and Best Wishes to you and all during these uneasy times... stay safe.☦️ ..💝

[@waughzee]

France is so beautiful! I was lucky to visit with a school group when I was 16. We toured Carcasonne, Chateau Chenonceau and Paris. I would love to return!

[@camifromri2129]

I loved this vlog and learned so much. What a lovely museum! Please do more exploring around the area and thank you for bringing beauty and fun to us.

[@judywaters3759]

Lovely music . Stephanie you should put you singing and music video out while under lockdown. Would love to hear your singing, I’m sure others would too. Take care .🌺

[@emmarowse8071]

I do enjoy watching everyone go out ‘on location’ en masse ☺️

[@mariacasella979]

Boy did I need to watch this!thats why your always so happy,where you live inside and outside,with the best of friends,you all have so much fun!!work hard play hard..please stay safe and healthy guys💖Thank you for sharing this special day with us ✨🙏🏻💖

[@theresaromero2855]

Thank you so much, for taking us along, today.

[@janetburridge8423]

This vlog has rounded my day off nicely. Its my bed time 'story ' 🙂. I loved the sculptures and I thought I was a genius for recognising the style of monet in one of the paintings!! An artist that was connected to monet did it.

[@clicker7019]

These outings make me feel like a kid going on a field trip with an enchanting tour guide!!

[@corrinea8712]

My uncle’s hometown. It’s so wonderful to see it’s evolution! The tour was fantastic. Stephanie it’s is so much your, “niche”. Perfectly executed and your descriptions are spot on! Thank you.

[@evahathaway4608]

LOL LaLande leaving the charity shop with their loot!

[@susantreston2589]

Thank you..... Loved the Avery & the Swan table. We must give credit to the Mayor for doing such a great job to the town with the gorgeous cobbled streets. 🇦🇺

[@scpmdt]

Thank you Stephanie for this wonderful vlog. So much history & beauty & the impeccable way you describe everything. The quality of your vlogs mirror all the hard work that goes into producing & delivering your vlogs. Thank you again .

[@wendybezanson5560]

Excellent tour including furniture, dishes, sculptures and paintings of portraits and landscapes.

[@janicebrowningaquino792]

How absolutely LOVELY!!!!! My FAVORITE MUSEUM! (Almost-AMONG my favorites) My FAVORITE CHARMING little town in France that you have visited while videoing!!! What a simply delightful day!!!! Thank you for taking us all along!!!!!

[@ginahamlyn2569]

I was shrieking with laughter when you made the comment about Philip and the Doggy picture!

[@AvaT42]

I loved the bells at the end wire the church there. Lovely.

[@cherylwilson8519]

Thank you for taking us places we cannot go right now:) Also you have the makings of someone who could write an historical novel!

[@laurl809]

Thank you Stephanie for making this so we can see all of those beautiful things! And a big yes for empire dresses

[@petajackson3305]

A beautiful episode and the kind of day you need to share with friends ! Thank you as always 😘

[@kefaad]

What an amazing museum! In the introduction behind you stands on the wall a portrait of Countess Evelina Hanska, wife of the writer Honore de Balzac!!! The vases in the glass dome are actually pot pourri for dry flowers and various scents for rooms to smell beautifully like our scent candles nowadays 😉

[@edsamson8916]

Great historical facts! Love your effortless ability to relate these things. Hope your mum is good and Jerry of course. Take care. Ed from Nova Scotia, Canada

[@waughzee]

"It's basically you, in dog form..." I literally snorted! lol

[@philipjanssen]

I’m still offended 😂

[@waughzee]

@@philipjanssen 😂😂😂

[@christophemeathrel508]

Superb musée présentation. After seeing the Roman period finds one could not fail to notice the absence of similar finds during my time on UK digs covering the same periods. This musée is a must see next year. Thank you for this enlightenment. Salut 🧝🏼‍♀️🍷🇫🇷😷 Stay safe.

[@LibertinaUno]

Châteauroux looks like worthy of more visits for certain and good to see it's not too far from La Lande ... Vive le cognac crêpes ~ Mmmmmm :)

[@ellenfiore3726]

And the red boots oh my perfect!!!

[@teedee3834]

Stephanie I have to say the cut and color of your hair turned out FABULOUS!!!👸💗

[@anamaria2053]

It did turn out well. She said it was recorded prior to lockdown. I’m unsure which lockdown she’s referring to.

[@hematite2588]

Stephanie, you are such an inspiring person! It’s lonely at the top and you just keep steady and composed. Proud of you! God bless! Love love love you 😘! Love you in cream white and those marvelous red shoes. Yes, everyone was adorable to watch and I really learned so much from this museum tour. I do adore Empire Dresses. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@bambiborel6837]

The miniature staircase in mind boggling ♥️

[@charleswalker1185]

Always a treat! This was very special.. thank you all!!

[@janicerobinson2970]

Love The Music And The Amazing History Thankyou

[@stinki97128]

The bells are beautiful, u need them at LaLande

[@seashells5181]

Again, thank you for taking us on this wonderful trip to the museum in Chateauroux. I enjoyed it so much. You have so much energy and your positive happy way makes me happy too

[@faydrew6472]

Thanking you Stephanie, you are showing us so much history in detail and places that we would never get to see. Thanking you. Fayette

[@bonniec8429]

Thank you for the wonderful outing. At a young age, I lived outside of Niort, with my family. My sister went to school in Chateauroux. It's been many years, but I have great memories of life in France.

[@patdowney4984]

Loved the music .museum was so interesting.

[@corvus3513]

Thanks for sharing all the art and history in your vlogs. My soul gets rejuvenated every time I watch videos like this.

[@EmilyBoltz]

Who would even like to give thus a thumbs down!? This was stunning!

[@julieporter1293]

The purple is named Potpourri by Dulux . I have used it in my Queenslander .

[@Andrew-ey7wr]

Very beautiful video today... loved the choice of music as well

[@sharon9399]

The choice of music was lovely. I cannot wait to visit all of these places. I am going to rewatch this one a lot. So beautiful.

[@donnabridges5858]

The David Roche Foundation in Adelaide also has a micro mosaic table like this one . My daughter is a volunteer there. He was especially interested in Napoleons life so it wouldn’t surprise me this is the twin of it

[@ginahamlyn2569]

I really enjoyed that tour of the museum. Congratulations to the Mayor of Chateauroux for his fine restorative work of that area. It is really a beautiful town.

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

What a wonderful museum! I remember the empire revival years ago. Thank you for the video. It has been an epic installment. Could you create a video: How to Create a Party at Lalande. Have a fabulous week!

[@hatshepsut8329]

I have to say that I really loved the aubergine paint accompanied by the gold frames on the walls as well. It is exactly what is needed at Lalande. Everything was so lovely and I very much enjoyed this video!

[@ta3970]

I especially loved the church bells ringing at the end!!! I wish I had a curtsey emoji xoxo 💙

[@janicebrowningaquino792]

Oh SO DID I!! It was the icing on the lovely pastry!

[@rhondathomas7952]

That was so perfect. Great editing.

[@KateriBurnett]

What a great video, a bit of a history lesson tonight. Thank you. I always have loved history.

[@42apprentice]

Oh, that made me ache for France & for museums & galleries pre Covid

[@27Spiritgirl]

I so agree with your idea of Purple for the Petit Salon. Benjamin Moore has a gorgeous purple called Purple Lotus ( 2072-30) which I used for the front doors on our 1927 Georgian home. Against the white trim and columns it looked spectacular! I hope you are able to find an exact match to the room you toured - the gilded paintings and furniture look stunning against that colour.

[@becb7936]

Thanks for the tour! Very, very interesting and beautiful! Stephanie's adroit renaming of the fanciful sculpture made me laugh! Very apropos!!

[@jennistevenson796]

So lovely to see such beautiful things, especially during lockdown x

[@sharongruener6078]

Wonderfully beautiful. I love all the history. Thank you for sharing France. Blessings.

[@kyrad8579]

What a lovely tour! There is another version of “nature unveiling herself before science” in the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, it is my favorite sculpture so it is interesting to know it has a cousin!

[@annecc11]

One of the best ! Thank you Stephanie. Bizz, bizz, Anne

[@ShipCreek]

🐲Magical. It came to an end all too soon. Thankyou Stephanie for taking us with you🦚

[@Marykguise]

Another stunning and fun video!! Would love to see more like those!! Incredible!!

[@paean109]

Beautiful furniture, especially the commodes. Fascinating. I also love the idea of the paintings covering the fireplaces. What a great idea. The dog painting was funny. "It looks like a rat with a perm." hahahaha.. I loved the Ernest Nivet sculpture, Les ravaudeuses (the two ladies mending the clothes). So beautiful. What a great day you had exploring.

[@gail-elizabethengland7853]

Excellent! Thank you for the tour of the museum.

[@denisenall1179]

Always pleased with your posts and can't wait for more. Love to all.

[@carolinejobe9346]

wow that was a trip! loved every moment, love your attention to detail and learning about the history of the art and furniture and the beautiful town itself...thanks

[@janetthomas8244]

A lovely and much needed day out for us all. Regency party sounds good, those gowns and accessories were goreous.

[@lydon1200]

I love every single video on this channel. Thank you so much for sharing your world.

[@edwardm.thornton6313]

The window shutters would be a great idea for your home🏰. My grandaunt had shutters in her home, It was built in 1881. In winter time the Window Shutters will keep out the cold. 🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀

[@markclemens3409]

Stephanie is usually on top of la petite histoire, but she missed a nugget while she was pronouncing the name of the painter of the ice skating scene. One can read on the notice the painting was donated by Colonel Jacques Balsan. Balsan was an aviation pioneer and flew reconnaissance missions in WWI, and then volunteered at 73 to return to flying for France in WWII. Balsan was the second husband of Consuelo Vanderbilt whose first husband was duke of Marlborough and first cousin of Winston Churchill. Known as Sunny, Charles Richard Spencer-Churchill, 9th duke of Marlborough was apparently a real s**t. By all reports, Vanderbilt's second marriage was a happy one.

[@oldheadcook]

And this is another reason why I love this blog ❤️

[@eastcoastartist]

21:03 Perfect Re-name Lol

[@anamaria2053]

Gorgeous chateau! All was so well done. Thank you!

[@janetg1691]

Lovely walk through places I missed when in France. Thank you Stephanie, I love your outfit, so sophisticated.

[@2Sugarbears]

Wow wow and just WOW!

[@gisellenorbury2369]

Absolutely beautiful tour . Thank you

[@adrianodecastro6208]

I love all the information with regards to Napoleon. What a find.

[@marymcginnis2242]

Empire waist was the style in 1966. My wedding gown was done in that style.

[@robwestley7370]

Sandra Westley mine too, in 1968

[@lisamarutz9772]

My wedding dress in 1976 was empire too. Now that I am in my 60’s, and not at all the same shape, I still like empire style😊

[@liesavillandre3481]

my conformation dress that was made by my mother was Empire waist too, with bell sleeves, and my grate Aunt did Tatting along the neckline, and sleeves,

[@chasethecat3839]

I still love it

[@rachelhoward334]

I wanted empire style for my wedding dress in 1975 , but had no luck, they must have been out of fashion then, 🙁

[@taitweigel64]

Thank you, Stephanie! I loved all the paintings, the chinoiserie china, lovely architecture and the charm of the whole area.

[@ellend9739]

What a treat ! I enjoyed this so much on our Sunday evening! Thank you ! 🙏