The Château: A Grand History Book of France

A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1981, Fontainebleau is the only château to have been inhabited by all the monarchs from the twelfth to the nineteenth century, and is the most richly furnished of all the French royal châteaux.

Napoleon was the great restorer of the château of Fontainebleau, which he completely refurnished immediately after the French Revolution. Having breathed new life into the palace, this was where he abdicated in 1814. In his memoirs, he had no hesitation in describing it as “the true abode of Kings, Palace of the ages”.

Today, his private apartments and the museum devoted to him reflect the essence of this imperial past. Fontainebleau houses masterpieces of the Renaissance commissioned by Francis I, the refined interiors of Marie-Antoinette, the state apartments of Napoleon I and décors reflecting the taste of Napoleon III and the Empress Eugenie. A hunting lodge and retreat that bears witness to the lives both official and private of the sovereign heads of state, Fontainebleau perfectly embodies the French art of living.

The château de Fontainebleau – Place du Général de Gaulle – 77300 Fontainebleau
Tél :  00 33 (1) 60 71 50 70 – website : click here

 

The Château

chateau fontainebleau tourism

A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1981, the château of Fontainebleau is open to the public, giving visitors a chance to view what Napoleon once called the “true abode of kings, the house of ages”. The château’s hundreds of rooms house collections of outstanding quality that make it the most richly furnished of all the French royal châteaux.