THE 



ORCHID 



WORLD. 



Val Duchesse. 



The Val Duchesse Collection, 



Auderghem, Belgium. 



THE noble mansion of Val Duchesse is 

 situated in a beautiful valley in the 

 vicinity of Brussels. The Duchesse 

 i\leycle de Bourgoyne chose this delightful 

 spot for building a priory in the year 1 262 ; 

 from this fact the present name " Valley of 

 the Duchesse" is derived. The edifice is a 

 faithful reconstruction of that which was the 

 priory in the 17th century, before the revolu- 

 tionary turmoil. A large part is original and 

 has simply been restored ; the remainder 

 has been rebuilt according to the plans on 

 ancient documents. 



From a wide boulevard, which extends 

 along the estate for nearly a mile, a very 

 picturesque view of the whole place may be 

 obtained. A large lake, more than twelve 

 acres in extent, lies at the bottom of the 



valley, the opposite hills, thickly covered with 

 venerable trees, being reflected in the water. 

 A large piece of enclosed land is cultivated 

 as a French garden ; this extends to the 

 lake, a monumental flight of steps leading 

 down to the water. 



From the lower part of the estate, near 

 the principal entrance, an imposing view of 

 the mansion may be obtained. The owner, 

 Mons. Charles Dietrich, takes a great 

 pleasure in describing to his friends the 

 wonderful collection of works of ;u't wliich 

 it contains. The unique pieces of furniture, 

 the superb Gobelin and Brussels tapestries, 

 the pictures, the curios, the old china, and the 

 numerous ancient pieces of parchment 

 relating to the history of the priory, are alone 

 worth a visit to Val Duchesse. The large 



