The massive castle of Fontainebleau has seen eight centuries of royal patronage. Founded in the early 12th century the made magnificent in the 15th and 16th century by Francis I, and loved by Napoleon Bonaparte, this magnificent building is located in the heart of the history of France.
The forest environment
The Forest of Fontainebleau was the closest great hunting ground to Paris for the first French kings and their courtiers. In 1137 a huge fortress was built and some decades later the English Archbishop Thomas à Becket, in exile of the English king, consecrated the chapel.
Fontainebleau becomes a royal palace
It was not until the 15th century that Fontainebleau became an important royal residence. François I (1494-1547) began the process, employing Italian artists to transform the site from a hunting lodge into a luxurious residence where European heavyweights such as Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, were greeted. Fontainebleau became the heart of French life, the scene of births and deaths of French kings, to hatch plots to make advantageous dynastic marriages, to plan wars, and to negotiate peace.
Fontainebleau grew through the centuries as state apartments were added, canals dug, and gardens planted. When Napoleon Bonaparte founded his empire, he chose Fontainebleau as his favorite residence, calling it “the true home of the King” and “house of centuries.” Also reformed the state apartments and lived there for the last days of his reign before he abdicated on April 6th, 1814. What you see today is much as he left the castle.
Highlights of a visit to Château de Fontainebleau
There is much to see in the castle which has 1500 rooms and offers a history of French architecture from the 12th to 19th centuries. These are the must-see highlights, starting with the glorious horseshoe-shaped external staircase.
The sovereign’s apartments large and small
On the first floor, the royal apartments are spread out as connecting rooms, divided into the King and Queen apartments. The rooms are opulent, filled with large gilded furniture, tapestries to keep out the cold during the winter hunting season, artwork, and state-of-the-art beds.
François I was the main figure in these sumptuous rooms, he built a gallery originally intended for private use and only entered with a key that the monarch wore around his neck. Painted frescoes, dating from 1536 onwards, cover the walls. Next to it is the chamber of his mistress, the Duchess d’Etampes, suitably decorated with scenes from the love affairs of Alexander the Great. The ballroom completes the glorious rooms, again covered in frescoes and making a wonderful room for the balls that so impressed the royal guests.
The Petits Apartments on the ground floor are more intimate, built by Louis XV as offices later used by Napoleon and Josephine.
Boudoirs of Marie Antoinette
Louis XVI built two special retirement rooms for his Queen Marie Antoinette as a gift. The dressing table on the first floor is exotic, decorated in Turkish style, which at the time was the great decorative fashion. Turbans, incense burners, strings of pearls, and crescent moons fill the room. Then the silver bedroom, shining with 18 th -Century pieces of furniture inlaid with mother-of-pearl is shown.
Madame de Maintenon, secondly, the secret wife of Louis XIV, also had his own apartment, decorated with beautiful 17th and 18th century furniture.
The papal apartment
After the sovereign’s apartments, the Pope’s was the most important. It was created in 1804 for Pius VII who visited that year and later in 1812. The decoration is a remarkable mix of 19th century furniture, chosen by Napoleon III and Eugenia.
Napoleon III Guest Apartments
Napoleon III and Eugenie brought all the latest 19th century fashion, style and comfort to Fontainebleau when they created apartments for the many guests and hangers who flocked here. The rooms are brighter than the rest of the castle, with luscious blue floral wallpapers and bedding and all modern amenities. Fontainbleau is a much more magnificent residence than your other favorite, much smaller palace in Compiegne.
Galleries for the court
The courtiers who always surrounded the monarch gathered in three galleries, processing the long rooms and admiring the carpentry, sculpture, and tapestries. The largest is the François I Gallery , built in the 1520s and a model for later galleries such as the Apollo Gallery at the Louvre (post-1661) and the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles (post-1678). In the evenings, guests were entertained at the Napoleon III Theater, opened in 1857 and inspired by the grandiose golden Opéra Royal in Versailles.
The museums
In 1863, Empress Eugenie built a Chinese museum to house her impressive collection of Far Eastern treasures, amassed from works looted during the Revolution, and following the sacking of the Summer Palace in Beijing by French and British troops in 1860.
There are 3 other museums, formed in the last decades. The Napoleon I Museum houses art, furniture, costumes and more from Bonaparte’s time, between 1804 and 1815.
The Painting Gallery was created in 1998 for oil paintings that were taken from private apartments, with more works from the Louvre.
Furniture fans should visit the newest gallery, the Furniture Gallery, dedicated to the 18th and 19th century furniture, art and textiles.
Courtyards and gardens
The castle surrounds four main courtyards, some internal, others facing the lawns and the lakes.
There are three spectacular gardens. The Grand Parterre is the largest formal garden in Europe, created by the famous gardener André Le Nôtre and Louis Le Vau for Louis XIV. There are water fountains with gaily sparkling statues, herb gardens, and an ornamental lake.
The Jardin Anglais (English Garden) offers a haven of peace reminiscent of the rolling parklands of English manor houses. It is full of rare trees and statues and has a river running through the middle. The Garden of Diana was once the queen’s private garden. Today it is a formal garden with a fountain sculpted in the shape of Diana, goddess of the hunt.
The park offers a wonderful view from a stone terrace, which stretched up to 17 ° channel -Century with mature trees.
Fontainebleau Castle
Fontainebleau
Sena y Marne
Phone: 00 33 (0) 1 60 71 50 70
Château open from Wednesday to Monday from October to March from 9.30 am to 5 pm Apr-Sep 9.30am-6pm
Closed January 1, May 1, December 25
Courtyard and Gardens is open every day from November to February from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., March, April and October from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., May to September from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Admission Click here to view admission prices.
How to get to Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau is in the center of the magnificent forest of Fontainebleau, southeast of Paris.
By car: take the A6 from Paris (Porte d’Orléans or Porte d’Italie), then take the exit towards Fontainebleau. Follow the signs for Fontainebleau, then follow the signs for the ‘castle’.
By train: from Paris Gare de Lyon (main line), take the train to Montargis Sens, Montereau or Laroche-Migennes. Get off at Fontainebleau-Avon station, then take the ‘Ligne 1’ bus in the direction of Les Lilas and get off at the ‘Château’ stop.
Paris / Vaux-le-vicomte / Fontainebleau shuttle service
Parivision runs a regular shuttle service between Fontainebleau and Paris, departing from 214 rue de Rivoli.
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 1 42 60 30 01
Website
Two castles in one day
Fontainebleau is very close to the equally fabulous Vaux-le-Vicomte. You can do both comfortably in one day.
