Palace of Fontainebleau

Welcome to the Palace of Fontainebleau, an extraordinary sprawling complex located 70 kilometers south of Paris. Napoleon Bonaparte famously called this place the 'True Residence of Kings' and the 'House of the Centuries,' and…

You are standing in the Cour d'Honneur, also known as the 'Cour des Adieux' or the Court of Farewells. This vast rectangular space is dominated by the palace's most famous external feature: the Horseshoe Staircase. …

Step into the Francis I Gallery, perhaps the single most important room in the history of French art. Completed in 1537, this long, narrow corridor was the first of its kind in France, a precursor to the Hall of Mirrors at…

The Ballroom, or Salle de Bal, is a space of staggering opulence, designed for the grand festivities and diplomatic receptions of the 16th century. Originally planned as an open Italian-style loggia by Francis I, it was enclosed…

We enter the only throne room in France that still retains its original furniture and decor from the imperial era. Interestingly, this room was originally the bedroom of the kings of France from the 17th century until the…

The Trinity Chapel, rebuilt under Francis I on the site of a 13th-century chapel founded by Saint Louis, is the spiritual heart of Fontainebleau. Its current decoration dates primarily from the reign of Henry IV and Louis XIII,…

Exiting the palace into the gardens, we encounter the Grand Canal, a body of water over 1.2 kilometers long. Built by Henry IV in 1609, it predates the canal at Versailles by more than half a century. …

Finally, we step outside into the vastness of the palace gardens, specifically the Grand Parterre. Spanning fourteen hectares, this is the largest formal French garden in Europe. …

As we conclude our journey through the Palace of Fontainebleau, I hope you carry with you a sense of the immense sweep of French history contained within these walls. From the medieval keep of Saint Louis to the imperial theater…