Paris Day
Trips :
Fontainebleau
Castle - Description and history
Grands Appartements
The grands appartements are free to visit and constitute the essential
part of any visit to the main building. Their decoration bears witness
to and preserves perfectly French and Italian art of the flamboyant
renaissance period. The succession of galleries and exhibitions are a
permanent wonder. One can find the works of Oudry in the Fastes
Gallery. 120 porcelain plates recount the history of the chateau from
different views. The Trinity Chapel was built under Henry II in 1550,
its painted vault clearly evoking the influence of Michelangelo. The
Gallery of François 1st reveals numerous decorative salamanders,
the animal symbol of the influential French monarch. The majestic
ballroom, also constructed during the reign of Henry II,
features a
grandiose mural attributed to Nicolo Dell’Abbate. Louis XIII was born
in the room that bears his name. Napoleon actually used the
François 1st room as a dining room. The letter N, imperial mark
of Napoleon, can be found throughout the throne room, unique in France.
The small bedroom of Napoleon still retains a small military bed. The
anti-room of the Empress is hung with rugs from the Gobelins. In
1786,
Marie-Antoinette fitted out the grand wardrobe to her own tastes.
Numerous monarchs slept in the bedroom of the Empress from 1600
onwards. Marie-Antoinette never had the chance to sleep in the bed she
herself commissioned, whilst Josephine made use of it several times.
The counsel room was redecorated by Louis XV.
Musée Napoleon
Created in 1986, the Musée
Napoléon contains numerous souvenirs linked to the Emperor and
his brothers, Kings of Europe between 1804 and 1815. In the same spirit
as other imperial residences, the several themed rooms pay homage to
the little Corsican, from the numerous paintings that traverse them to
the personal effects that belonged to the Bonaparte family.
Gardens
To complete any visit, a walk in the gardens is imperative. Identical
in appearance to the day of their creation in 1812, the English gardens
are found to the right of the Cour du Cheval-Blanc (Court of the White
Horse). Le Nôtre, celebrated gardener of the Chateau de
Versailles, was responsible for redesigning the flowerbed of the carp
pond.