I hope you've enjoyed my posts of the gorgeous Chateau de Fontainebleau. We started the series with a picnic at the edge of the carp pond looking across at the gorgeous Chateau and, most recently, saw the Gallery of Diana and the Stairway of the King. In between we wandered the outside of the Chateau … Continue reading One Last Hurrah at Chateau de Fontainebleau
In today's post we'll be looking at two more rooms at Chateau de Fontainebleau. At 80 metres long the Galerie de Diane, or Gallery of Diana, is the longest room at Chateau de Fontainebleau. It was originally built by Henry IV century as a place for the Queen to promenade which kind of cracks me … Continue reading The Gallery of Diana, and The Stairway of the King
It's not uncommon for historic palaces to have the stamps of multiple reigning monarchs in both their design and architecture. Napoleon I (aka Napoleon Bonaparte for those who, like me, struggle to keep track) was just one of many in the history of Chateau de Fontainebleau to have made his lasting mark. Today there's even … Continue reading Napoleon at Chateau de Fontainebleau
As we've seen, Château de Fontainebleau is filled with room after room of jaw dropping beauty. Just when I regained my composure and thought I'd seen the best on display, I'd walk through another doorway and start the whole gobsmacked process again. The Apartment of The Pope, so named because Pope Pius VII stayed here … Continue reading Apartment of the Pope and of the Queen Mothers
If you've been to Château de Fontainebleau before you'll be familiar with the grand Gallery of Francis I decorated in the beautiful Italian Renaissance style. While the gallery is a stunning showstopper for many visitors, Francis I built it as a passageway to link his apartments to The Chapel of the Trinity. Passageway sounds so … Continue reading Gallery of Francis I
I'm sitting on my bed as I write this post, and I can't help but look around and notice the stark contrast between my simple surroundings and those created for the French Queens and Empresses. While I don't have what you'd call extravagant tastes, it's easy for me to imagine spending my days amongst such … Continue reading A Bedroom Fit for a Queen
Le Chapelle de la Trinite, or The Chapel of the Trinity, took my breath away with its over-the-top-ness (for lack of a better word). There's so much going on, as is typical with ornate Baroque style, that it's difficult to know where to look. Steeped in history, the Chapel was originally a monastery church belonging … Continue reading The Chapel of the Trinity
We'll get to the delights on display inside Château de Fontainebleau soon, but after reminiscing about our picnic I thought I'd share some more photos that I took outside. I recently learned that these are called bracket fungus. Awkward name, but pretty just the same. The grounds surrounding the Château seem to go on and … Continue reading But First, the Château Grounds
Amongst the trees at Château de Fontainebleau, we came across Le Jeune Braconnier - or The Young Poacher. The lifelike marble sculpture was created by recipient of the French Legion of Honour, Charles Gauthier, and depicts a young boy showing his excited dog a captured rabbit. Or more like teasing it. He looks like a … Continue reading Le Jeune Braconnier
Exploring the grounds of Château de Fontainebleau takes sustenance, so why not do as we did and have a picnic in the pretty park setting? We stopped at a grocery store in Fontainebleau en route to the Château, after having disembarked the bus at the nearby station. Once we arrived at the Château, we headed … Continue reading Picnic at the Château
