Paris Day 2

Today we caught the train to Chateau de Fontainebleau. The residence of French sovereigns from François I to Napoleon III, including Louis VII the Château de Fontainebleau (55km south of the capital) exemplifies the most significant styles through the centuries from the 16th century: unique ensembles of wood panelling, stucco and paintings from the Renaissance, carved wood ceilings and painted decor from the 17th and 18th centuries and apartments with furniture dating back to the First Empire, with 15 rooms dedicated to Napoleon and his family. One of the largest French royal chateaux. With over 1500 rooms at the heart of 130 acres of parkland and gardens, Fontainebleau is the only royal and imperial château to have been continuously inhabited for seven centuries.

With its various buildings arranged over four main courtyards and three gardens, the Château de Fontainebleau’s long and varied architectural façades are arrayed against the gardens, the layout of which underwent considerable revision throughout the course of the 19th century.

First we walked through the Napoleon Museum.

Napoleon Francis Joseph Charles was born on 20th March 1811, his “Little Kings Apartment”.

We then went on a self guided tour through the Chateau, the top floor of the Chapel de la Trinite.

The ceiling in the Guard Room is just extraordinary.

Throne of Napoleon

Statue commissioned in 1529 in the Rotunda of Tribolo, The Goddess of Nature, in marble. A different example of Artemis (Diana) of Ephesus.

The ceiling above.

The Second Saint Louis Room formerly the medieval keep, the only remaining part of the original chateau, the earliest record of which dates from 1137.

The Louis XIII Salon

In the Tapestry Salon are tapestries depicting the story of Psyche.

Then in the Empress’s Antichamber are three tapestries of the seasons, Summer, Autumn and Winter.

The Diana Gallery is 80mtr long and 7 mtr wide.

In the Empress’ Great Salon, the ceiling painting is depicting Minerva crowning the Muses.

The Empress’Chamber

The Throne Room

The Emperor Chamber

This clock has so many functions such as telling the time, date, month, solstices, equinoxes, moon phases just to name a few.

We were able to go into the Trinity Chapel on the lower level at the end of the chateau tour.

We then walked back into the village for some lunch and returned to stroll through the gardens in the afternoon.

The Grand Parterre the largest French style formal garden in Europe.

Waterfall pool.

We walked back through the Diana Garden with the statue of Diana with a doe.