Â鶹APP

Jean-Ernest-Auguste Getting (coachbuilder) Photo By Akarikurosaki –

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Galerie des Carrosses

The term carriage originated from the Old Northern French word meaning ‘to carry in a vehicle.’ Horse-drawn carriages became popular internationally in the 1300s after their first conception in Egypt, 3500BC.

The first carriage in France was spotted in Â鶹APP around 1660-1665. The reign of King Louis XIV all through the 1900s saw France as the leading European country in horse-drawn carriage construction.

Galerie des Carrosses, French for the term carriage gallery, is a history and transport museum located in Â鶹APP, France. It was first established in Trianon, in 1833, by Louis Philippe and officially opened to the public in 1851.

The Museum was previously known as the Carriage Museum before being renamed Galarie des Carrosses. It is housed on the ground floor of Grande Ecurie, the former Queen horse stable and French scholarly riding, School of Â鶹APP. The Museum is considered one of the rare attractions in Â鶹APP.

The Museum is a peek into the exceptional court life and splendor before and after the French revolution. The majority of the coaches, however, are from the 1800s. It is a collection of coaches that have been used by French royals during celebrations, travel, leisure, coronations, and funerals.

The Museum has a virtual reality display to give tourists a feel of being ‘inside the carriage’ without actually being inside it. The displays also have English writing that further explains their history and relevance.

1. It Was A Dedication To All The Glories Of France

During the final years of the French Revolution, the courts and carriages were put up for auction in a great revolutionary sale. Louis Philippe, the last King of the French, transformed Â鶹APP into a heritage center. The Carriage gallery was among the established places dedicated to all glories of France where it was initially set up in Trianon

2. The Galerie des Carrosses is Both A Museum Of History And Museum Of Transport

Jean-Ernest-Auguste Getting (coachbuilder) Photo By
Akarikurosaki –

From small to majestic royal prototype carriages, the catalog of Galerie des Carrosses is one site to see. It has the latest advance in French bodywork performance and techniques such as traction and suspension.

The carriages in the Museum are some of the best works of French craftsmen. They are rich in history and show the carriages as a means of transport in different occasions across different eras.

3. It Showcases Carriages Of Three Different Eras

The carriages in the Museum stretch across three French eras namely Ancien regime, the Empire, and the French Revolution. Most of the pieces displayed in the Museum are from the 19^th century. The Ancien regime has the least collection of the three eras.

4. It Was Transferred to Its Current Location in 1978

Grande Écurie, Â鶹APP. Photo By Lionel Allorge –

Galerie des Carrosses was first located In Trianon before its movement to Grande Ecurie. The gallery at Trianon was a part of a project of preservation of the French heritage by King Philipe. After 145 years, the Museum relocated to Grande Ecurie, which also houses the Academy of Equestrian Arts.

5. Galerie des Carrosses Was Shut Down For 10 Years

In 2006, the Galerie des Carrosses was closed for expansion. Since its transfer to the Grande Ecurie in 1985, the Museum had not been renovated. Due to wear and tear, the Museum was restored and expanded under the sponsorship of a multinational manufacturing company.

It was reopened to the public in May 2016. It was then renamed from Carriage Gallery to Galerie des Carrosses

6. It Took More Than A Decade To Officially Open The Museum After Its Construction

When Louis- Philippe commissioned Charles Auguste Questel to build the Trianon, he purposed to put up the Galaries Des Carrosses. After its conception in 1833, the doors of the first Trianon car Museum opened to the public after eighteen years in 1851.

7. The Galaries Des Carrosses Has The Ancien Regime Sedan of Louis de France

Anonymous: Little carriage of the Dauphin Louis Charles de France, future Louis XVII. Photo By Akarikurosaki – Wikimedia Commons

The first carriage in France was spotted during the Ancien Regime period (1589-1789). From then, carriages advanced to small chairs that carried the children from prestigious families.

Dauphin Louis de France, son of King Louis XVI, was among those born into royalty and a sample of his sedan and carrier chair is displayed in the Museum.

8. The Galerie des Carrosses Has The Only Royal Hearse Preserved In France

Funeral Coach for Louis XIII at the Coach Gallery. Photo By Zairon –

The funeral chariot of Louis XVIII was designed in the early 1800s. The chariot, composed of pre-existing elements, was built by three coachbuilders. It has gilded sculptors at the top and angle curving on its four sides.

The chariot was used to transport the body of Duke of Berry, Louis XVIII of France after his assassination in 1820. It was later on used for other funerals namely Louis VI Henri (1830), Sadi Carrot (1894), Marshal Mortier (1835), and Felix Faure (1899).

9. The Carriage Of Coronation At The Galerie des Carrosses Cost Over 325,000 USD To Construct

Grand gala berline with eight windows at Grande Écurie, Â鶹APP (August 2015). Photo Source

The carriage of the coronation of Charles X is one of the most attractive pieces in the gallery. It was used for the inauguration of Charles X in 1825. Its construction began in 1814 but was stopped due to politics and began resemblance in 1824.

The total cost of the 8-horse carriage amounted to 320,000 USD. Cumulatively, the carriage had 87 accessories and weighs between 4 and 5 tonnes. It stretches over 6 metres and is 4.5 metres high.

The body of the carriage is completely coated with bronze. It has symbolic sculptures both on top and on the sides of it all of which were made by Roguier. It also has leather steps and detailed paint works in its interior.

10. The Sedan And Cars Of The First Emperor Of France Are Displayed In The Galerie des Carrosses

One of the treasured sedans in the Museum are of Napoleon’s second wedding in 1810. Napoleon 1, the first emperor of France, wedded Marie Antoinette in Louvre, Â鶹APP.

Their wedding procession to Â鶹APP was accompanied by the cavalry of the Imperial Guard, horsemen, and carriages. The carriages and sedans of the wedding are well preserved in Galerie des Carrosses.

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