The French Taj Mahal, a temple of love and eternal youth.
Undoubtedly, you have heard of the Indian monument of love – the Taj Mahal mosque-mausoleum, built on the orders of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died during childbirth.
In the Rhône-Alpes region near Lyon, in the city of Bourg-en-Bresse, Ain department, there is its own monument of love and eternal life. On the deserted marshy land of Bresse, a colorful vision attracts attention from afar.
The brilliant colored roof of the majestic cathedral and the strict silhouette of the monastery buildings make as strong an impression today as they did 500 years ago after the completion of construction. One cannot help but wonder: “Where did such an elegant structure of Flemish architecture come from and why is it here?” The idea of creating a masterpiece of fiery Gothic belongs to Princess Margaret of Austria, who became a widow at the age of 24. Her husband, Philibert II the Beautiful, Duke of Savoy, died suddenly after drinking spring water during a hunt. The choice of this place was not accidental: here Philibert lived from birth until his death. Here he had the happiest “golden” years of marriage with Margaret, a life filled with knightly tournaments and hunting.
At that time and until 1860, this territory was not French. It was the independent Duchy of Savoy, which included Nice, Genoa, Geneva, and Piedmont, ruled by the family of the Dukes of Savoy. The fashion for building mausoleums can also be attributed to that time, but the Bourg-en-Bresse one surpasses them in its ideological significance.
This is a petrified song of love, a cry of despair, and a blessing for eternal life. The credo of a woman, in which her entire life is inscribed with the motto “FORTUNE INFORTUNE FORT UNE” on marble. How would you translate this? “Misfortune forges happiness,” or…?
Before marrying Philibert, Margaret was a pawn in the political games between the ruling houses of Europe, and although she was a wealthy heiress of high rank, she had no choice. Only in her third marriage does she find mutual love and family happiness, but this was destined to last only 3 years.
After her husband’s death, Margaret cuts off her lovely golden hair, puts on lifelong mourning, and returns to her homeland. She bids farewell to her husband and her youth, leaving Bourg-en-Bresse, where she was not destined to return in her lifetime.
The daughter of Emperor Maximilian I of the Holy Roman Empire, she raises the heir, the future Emperor Charles V, and his brothers and sisters, serving as regent in the Netherlands. Remaining in the shadow of two emperors, Margaret proves to be an extraordinary diplomat and skillfully governs the country for 25 years, fully dedicating herself to state affairs.
She decides to immortalize the story of her entire life, her love for her husband, and the memory of her happiness and youth by creating a temple-mausoleum and a monastery beside it, whose monks will pray for the repose of the soul of Philibert II the Beautiful, Duke of Savoy, his mother Margaret of Bourbon, and for her own after her death. There, in Bourg-en-Bresse, in heavenly life, Margaret will finally await her soul’s peace.
Meanwhile, this well-educated woman herself meticulously develops the project of the complex’s buildings on a colossal scale. She dreams of creating something exceptional and worthy of her high status. Until the end of her life, the princess finances the project from the Netherlands and oversees its implementation in Bourg-en-Bresse, sending her court architect and craftsmen there. The cathedral serves as a private mausoleum, where only members of royal families and monks are allowed to enter.
Today, in the buildings of the Royal Monastery of Brou, there is a museum of fine and applied arts, Musée de Brou, where you can see foreign and local masterpieces, such as carved furniture in the Bresse style, faience from Mains, whose fame has spread beyond France, as well as paintings by famous artists Gustave Moreau, Gustave Dore, and others.
We invite you to a tour of this architectural ensemble, where you can learn more about the art and lives of outstanding people at the turn of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
