Château de Chantilly – The Chapel

Much of Château de Chantilly was demolished after The Revolution, and when it was later rebuilt in the late 1800s it was architect Honoré Daumet who was tasked with creating a chapel that would not only serve as a place of worship – but also as a new home for the Condé Hearts.

As was the practice of the time, hearts of prominent figures were buried separate from the rest of their bodies. The chapel here at Château de Chantilly holds the hearts of various Condé princes. The final heart to be included belonged to the eldest son of the Duke of Aumale, Louis of Orleans, who passed away in 1866 at the young age of 21.

I’d never heard of this practice and only learned of it after returning home from France – so my visit to the chapel was more focused on enjoying the beautiful decor and architecture. Otherwise known as blissfully ignorant.

Let’s check it out now.

In such a fancy space, I was struck by the simplicity of the pews.

Check out that ceiling!

These intricately carved wooden panels came from the chapel of the nearby Château d’Ecouen, which you may recall me recently mentioning is now home to the National Museum of the Renaissance.

What’s a chapel without stained glass?

Remember how I said that I was unaware of the Condé Hearts? If I had been aware I’d have turned my camera phone to the left. Because just out of frame, next to the seated figure at the top left of the photo, is the large urn that holds several hearts of the Condé dynasty.

But of course I missed it and focused instead on the flooring. Can you blame me though? I mean, it is impressive.

I’ll be back tomorrow. Until then..

Bonne journée!

Marla