From 1760 until the French Revolution Château de la Marquetterie stately home was the country retreat of famous writer and father of French fantastic fiction Jacques Cazotte.
At harvest time, Château La Marquetterie would become the venue for a glittering gathering of the French literati of the 18th Century, Voltaire and André Chénier to name but two. Two centuries later, young calvary officer Pierre-Charles Taittinger would also fall under the charms of Château de la Marquetterie, which he discovered on joining the command of Marshal Joffre who made his headquarters here in 1914. So smitten was Pierre-Charles that he acquired the chateau in 1934, placing a precious piece of Champagne heritage in the safe-keeping of the Taittinger family whose emblem it remains to this day.
Château de la Marquetterie is a gem of Louis XV style, preserved for posterity by Champagne House Taittinger.
References:The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.
Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.