Château de Fontainebleau named after a spring
The Château de Fontainebleau is a magnificent example of Renaissance and Classical architecture, enlarged and transformed over three centuries. It indeed boasts a profusion of gilding, marble, marquetry, sculptures, frescoes, paintings, artworks, porcelain, furniture, high-relief stucco, and exquisitely crafted coffered ceilings.
Nestled amidst meticulously landscaped parks, formal French gardens, and centuries-old trees, it exudes grandeur and elegance.
It also stands on the edge of a vast 17,000-hectare national forest, managed by the French National Forestry Office (ONF). Once a royal hunting ground, this forest, with its iconic rock formations, is now a favourite destination for rock climbers and hikers.
However, despite its architectural splendour and natural wonders, Fontainebleau takes its name from a humble spring, the Fontaine Bliaut.
Fontainebleau, a château built over 3 centuries
In 1528, King Francis I, the great patron of the French Renaissance, commissioned the demolition of an old medieval fortress to make way for a grand new château.
He entrusted its construction and ornamentation to the greatest Italian artists of the time, including Rosso Fiorentino, Primaticcio, Serlio, and Dell’Abate.
These artists belonged to the First School of Fontainebleau and left a lasting mark on the château’s design and decoration.
His successors continued to embellish and expand the château.
Henri IV enjoyed Fontainebleau and resided there frequently. He commissioned French and Flemish artists such as Dubois, Fréminet, Bosschaert, and Dubreuil (Second School of Fontainebleau) to undertake significant expansion and decoration work.
His son, Louis XIII, saw the completion of the château’s transformation after his father’s death.
Louis XIV, primarily focused on the development of his Château de Versailles, made only minor alterations to the Château de Fontainebleau. However, he visited during the autumn hunting season and signed the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes there in 1685.
Louis XV, Louis XVI, Napoleon I, and Napoleon III each left their mark through various transformations and embellishments.
The original furnishings were lost during the French Revolution, however, the château miraculously escaped demolition!
Thus, after more than three centuries of expansions and renovations, the Château de Fontainebleau is structured around four main courtyards: the Cour du Cheval Blanc (White Horse Courtyard), the Cour Ovale (Oval Courtyard), the Cour de la Fontaine (Fountain Courtyard), and the Cour des Offices (Office Courtyard).
Although the entire castle exudes grandeur, the François I Gallery and Napoleon’s private apartments are particularly popular attractions.
Cour d’Honneur, the main entrance to the Château de Fontainebleau
The 16th-century Aile des Ministres (Ministers’ Wing), the 17th- and 18th-century Jeu de Paume, the 16th-19th-centry Aile de l’Escalier en Fer de Cheval (Horseshoe Staircase Wing), the 18th-century Chapelle de la Trinité and Aile Louis XV (Wing) frame the vast Cour d’Honneur.
This vast courtyard is also known as the Cour du Cheval Blanc (White Horse) after the equestrian statue that adorned it in the 16th century. It was renamed the Cour des Adieux (Farewell) on April 20, 1814, when Emperor Napoleon I bid farewell to the soldiers of his guard before departing into exile on the island of Elba.
This courtyard features a magnificent horseshoe-shaped staircase, built by Philibert Delorme in 1558. Louis XIII entrusted the reconstruction to the architect Androuet du Cerceauin 1634. This magnificent staircase forms the focal point of the Aile de l’Escalier en Fer de Cheval (Horseshoe Staircase Wing).
The Trinity Chapel, commissioned by Francis I, witnessed several historical events, such as the marriage of Louis XV and the baptism of Napoleon III. Amazingly, the sculptor chose to give the statue of King Saint Louis, near the altar, the features of Louis XIII, while he attributed those of Henry IV to Charlemagne.
The adjacent, single-floor Aile des Ministres overlooks the Cour des Mathurins (Courtyard) at the rear of the château.
The Jeu de Paume (tennis court), rebuilt in the 18th century, is located between the Aile des Ministres and the Aile de l’Escalier en Fer de Cheval , and overlooks the Jardin de Diane.
The Aile Louis XV (Wing) was also rebuilt in the 18th century during the reign of Louis XV, from whom it takes its name. The king also oversaw the reconstruction of the Grand Pavilion and the Appartements de Chasse (Hunting Apartment).
Emperor Napoleon IIIcommissioned the renovation of four ground-floor rooms in the Grand Pavilion to create the Salon et Musée Chinois de l’Impératrice Eugénie (Empress Eugénie’s Chinese Salon and Museum). This museum displays objects from the Summer Palace in Beijing, acquired during the 1860 expedition to China or presented by the ambassadors of Siam (Thailand) during their official visit to the Château de Fontainebleau in 1861.
The Galerie des Assiettes (Plates Gallery) is also known as the Galerie des Fresques (Frescoes) as it boasts a series of canvas of the Second School of Fontainebleau. This gallery also displays Sèvres porcelain plates from the château’s dinner service.
Napoleon III commissioned the creation of the Galerie des Fastes (Feasts), which is decorated with paintings depicting court life.
In 1854, he also commissioned the construction of a 450-seat theatre in the Louis XV wing. Unfortunately, this theatre closed to the public in 1870.
The Musée Napoleon (Museum) was founded in 1984 to house a remarkable collection of objects related to the emperor: portraits, his weapons (including the sword used at his coronation in 1801), his decorations and uniforms, the clothing he wore at his coronation, his coat, a collection of personal belongings, memorabilia, and works of art from the First Empire.
Cour Ovale
The Oval Courtyard occupies the site of a medieval fortress.
It is framed by a series of remarkable buildings:
The Aile de la Salle de Bal (Ballroom Wing), which includes the Porte Dorée, Salle de Bal, and Saint-Saturnin Chapel (Golden Gate, the Ballroom, and the Chapel of Saint Saturninus).
The old keep, known as the Donjon Saint Louis, the Aile des Appartements Royaux (Royal Apartments Wing), the Portique de Serlio, and the Porte du Baptistère (Baptistery Gate)
Although Francis I had much of the old fortress demolished, he chose to preserve and restore the keep. Thus, the layout of the Royal Apartments Wing and the Ballroom Wing follow the fortress’s original oval plan.
Philibert Delorme oversaw the construction of the Salle de Bal (Ballroom), famous for its magnificent coffered ceiling, monumental fireplace, and frescoes created by Dell’Abate and Primaticcio in the 1550s. This hall served as a ceremonial room for centuries.
The Saint-Saturnin Chapel is located next to the Ballroom. The lower chapel was for the staff, and the upper chapel was reserved for the monarch and his family.
The Porte Dorée (Golden Gate) dates from 1528 and was once the main entrance to the Château de Fontainebleau. It indeed provided access to the apartments of Louis XIV’s courtiers, notably Madame de Maintenon, who married the king in 1683.
King Francis I established his bedroom, known as the Salon du Donjon, on the first floor of the Donjon Saint-Louis. The 12th-century keep is the oldest building in the château and connects directly to the magnificent François I Gallery.
Henri IV enlarged the Porte Dauphine, originally built in 1565 by Primaticcio. It was renamed the Porte du Baptistère in commemoration of the baptism of Louis XIII in 1606. This gate, surmounted by a dome, connects the Serlio Portico, rebuilt in the 19th century, to the Saint-Saturnin Chapel. It also leads to the Cour des Offices, or Cour Henri IV, a U-shaped complex of buildings housing the kitchens and staff headquarters.
Galerie François Ier
Francis I commissioned the construction of the impressive 60-metre-long gallery to connect his apartments to the Trinity Chapel.
The Italian masters he hired adorned the gallery with frescoes framed by high-relief stucco and richly decorated coffered ceilings, which are now emblematic of the Château de Fontainebleau.
The salamander, the king’s emblem, and his initials are omnipresent in the decor.
A fervent patron of the French Renaissance, Francis I assembled a significant collection of artworks and manuscripts, which were eventually bequeathed to the Louvre Museum.
Interestingly, only one wall of the Francis I Gallery has windows. The king had this wall bricked up to add an extension to enlarge his private apartments.
Napoleon’s private apartments
Napoleon was personally involved in the redesign of his private apartments, where he stayed during his hunting trips to the Château de Fontainebleau.
The furniture and decorations were restored with meticulous attention to detail. While the rooms have retained much of the sumptuous decor commissioned by previous monarchs, they are primarily furnished in the Empire style, characteristic of the Napoleonic era.
Several rooms are of considerable historical importance. The Salon de l’Abdication (Abdication Room), Napoleon’s former study, owes its name to April 6, 1814, when the emperor signed his first abdication on the small table in the centre of the room (the original furniture is indeed still in place!).
The Chambre du Conseil (Council Chamber), near the Galerie François I and the Galerie de Diane, boasts magnificent paintings.
Napoleon I installed the Salle du Trône in the the former Chambre du Roi (King’s Chamber). This room has an eclectic mix of decorations commissioned by different kings over the centuries, and thus embodies a unique historical heritage.
Jardin de Diane
This Jardin de Diane owes its name to a fountain adorned with a statue of Diana, goddess of the Hunt.
The Royal Apartments, originally reserved for Catherine de Medici, widow of Henry II, and Empress Josephine’s apartments overlook this garden.
The Royal Apartments include the Galerie des Cerfs (Stags) and the Galerie de Diane. Henry IV had the Galerie des Cerfs built on the ground floor and decorated with stag heads, hence its name!
The Galerie de la Reine (Queen), on the first floor, was renamed the Galerie de Diane because of the abundance of paintings depicting the goddess. It was converted into a library in 1858, during the Second Empire.
The Appartement des Chasse (Hunting), near to the Galerie des Cerfs, Galerie de Diane, Cour des Princes and Cour Ovale, was enlarged in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Parks and gardens of the Château de Fontainebleau
The Jardin de Diane was designed during the reign of Francis I and underwent modifications until the 19th century. It takes its name from the Fountain of Diana. It extends between the Galerie des Cerfs, the private apartments, and the Jeu de Paume.
The 80-hectare park, with its extensive network of paths and impressive 1,200-metre-long canal, was designed during the reign of Henry IV in the 17th century.
The Grand Parterre, located south of the château, was initially laid out under Francis I, redesigned under Henry IV, and then transformed by Le Nôtre and Le Vau in the 17th century to suit the tastes of Louis XIV. Its terraces were adorned with linden trees during the reign of Napoleon I.
The 17th-century Bassins des Cascades, to the east of the château, is nestled in the landscaped garden replanted under Napoleon I. Created during Francis I’s reign, this garden boasted a wide variety of conifers. Today, only the Grotte des Pines remains, near the main entrance to the château.
The Bliaut Fountain, or Belle Eau (Beautiful Water), springs from a grove before cascading into a basin.
The Bassin des Carpes (Carp Pond) is a former a marsh transformed into a lake during the reign of Francis I. A charming octagonal pavilion was built in its centre at the end of the 16th century and then rebuilt in the following century. Today, the pond is home to carp, some of which are over a hundred years old, hence its name.
Escape to the Château de Fontainebleau
The Château de Fontainebleau offers an ideal escape for those wishing to spend a day away from the hustle and bustle of Paris!
With its rich history and architectural marvels, this iconic castle illustrates the evolution of French art and architecture over the centuries.
After exploring its sumptuous interiors, you will also be able to stroll in its magnificent parks and gardens. Ideally located just 55 kilometres south of Paris, it is easily accessible by car or in 45 minutes by train.
Department of Seine-et-Marne
Coordinates Chateau de Fontainebleau: Lat 48.402096 – Long 2.699496
