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The commune of Romilly-sur-Aigre, in France's Eure-et-Loir department, lies southwest of Paris.
It's a small place with fewer than five hundred residents, still preserving much of its old-world charm.
In the early 1970s, Hubert de Givenchy, who held the title of a French count, purchased a Renaissance-style castle built in the 16th century there—
Château du Jonchet.
To design the castle gardens, Givenchy invited Rachel Lambert Mellon, the daughter-in-law of the Mellon family who had also designed the White House Rose Garden.
The collaboration sparked a friendship that lasted decades.
Although called a castle, Château du Jonchet is architecturally closer to Versailles than to a medieval fortress.
It was designed primarily as a residence and administrative center, not a defensive stronghold.
After stepping down as creative director of LVMH and leaving the fashion industry, Givenchy retired here.
His main interests became collecting 17th- and 18th-century bronze and marble sculptures.
Of course, Givenchy wasn't the only resident.
Living with him was his partner, Philippe Venet, also a fashion designer.
Venet had co-founded Givenchy with Hubert and served as the house's chief tailor until 1962, when he launched his own label.
Their professional paths diverged, but their relationship continued unchanged.
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From Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, renting a car and driving a little over two hours brings visitors to the small town.
The grounds of Château du Jonchet extend far beyond the main building.
They include:
A maze of boxwood hedges
The rose garden designed by Rachel Lambert Mellon
A greenhouse
An artificial lake
A private chapel
A moat
An indoor swimming pool
A dog cemetery
And even a small forest
Naturally, the castle required a number of servants and staff to maintain the property.
As a side note:
Hubert de Givenchy's father was the Marquis of Givenchy from the Taffin family, a title granted during the reign of Louis XIV in 1713.
The marquisate was inherited by Givenchy's elder brother, leaving Hubert, the younger son, with the lesser title of count.
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Because Henry had arranged the visit in advance, entering the estate posed no difficulty.
They soon arrived at the main entrance of the castle.
To Henry's surprise, Givenchy himself—already sixty-nine years old—stood outside waiting to greet them.
After parking the car, Henry first opened the door for the two women before stepping forward to greet his host.
The two men exchanged a traditional French cheek-kiss greeting.
"Bonjour, Givenchy."
"Coucou, Henry. Long time no see."
Henry presented his gifts:
A box of chocolates from La Maison du Chocolat
And his own book, Love from a Foreign Culture, which had been published some time ago (English edition only)
The chocolates, though high-quality, were commercially available.
Givenchy casually handed them to a servant.
But he examined the book with interest.
"This is the book Audrey recommended for you?"
"Yes."
"Fortunately the book jacket still carries Audrey Hepburn's endorsement, so it didn't lose money."
"But sales were… average."
Givenchy chuckled.
"I have a feeling the real reason is that you were too lazy to promote it."
Henry laughed awkwardly.
The retired fashion legend still had sharp instincts.
Henry quickly introduced his companions.
"These two are Charlize Theron and her agent J.J. Harris."
Then he turned back.
"Ladies, this is Count Hubert de Givenchy."
Since it was their first meeting, the greetings were polite and formal.
They exchanged handshakes, not the traditional hand-kiss greeting.
Givenchy also introduced his partner.
"This is Philippe Venet, my husband."
"Nice to meet you."
"A pleasure."
"Good afternoon."
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The group then entered the house.
Being invited into a French person's home is actually quite rare.
Unlike Americans—who frequently host parties at home—French homes are considered very private spaces.
Without sufficient friendship, visiting someone's home is almost impossible.
However, for social figures at the level of Givenchy or the Mellons, their "home" is so large that separate areas are naturally reserved for receiving guests.
Naturally, their visit included touring:
The rose garden designed by Rachel Lambert Mellon
And Givenchy's private sculpture collection
In a house belonging to a fashion icon, it's difficult to explain the atmosphere with complex theory.
Simply put—
Everything felt comfortable.
Visually comfortable.
Experientially comfortable.
And the sense of being immersed in the space was deeply relaxing.
This feeling couldn't be achieved merely by placing expensive objects together.
It was like admiring a great artwork.
Experts might describe it with endless theories.
But ordinary people only need one simple reaction:
"It's beautiful."
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Because Henry and the others had traveled all the way from the United States, they were invited to stay for dinner.
The meal was casual French home cooking:
Boeuf bourguignon (red wine braised beef)
Garlic pumpkin
Ratatouille
Savory French quiche
And of course, classic baguette
Normally baguettes weren't served at dinner.
But apparently Henry's appetite had already reached Givenchy's ears.
The bread was clearly prepared in case he needed extra food.
Still, as a guest in someone else's home, Henry behaved politely.
He ate at a relaxed pace and chatted naturally about what they had seen during the day.
Among the sculptures in the castle were works by masters such as:
Bernini
Puget
Girardon
Coysevox
Falconet
Pajou
Houdon
But even more numerous were anonymous pieces.
They weren't made by famous masters.
Sometimes the sculptures even had slightly awkward or strange details.
Yet they all shared one quality:
They were interesting.
At one point Henry stopped in front of a sculpture of Cupid.
He suddenly burst out laughing.
The sound amused Givenchy so much that he stopped beside him to discuss the piece.
After all, it was a statue of the god of love.
But the little angel's face looked grim and resentful, as if burdened with deep grudges.
The heart shape on the arrow—whether carved intentionally or altered by time—was covered in cracks.
Cupid was supposed to bring lovers together.
But this one looked more like he had come to break couples apart.
Or perhaps to ensure that the most incompatible people ended up together.
How could anyone not laugh at that?
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