Palace of Fontainebleau

About

The Château de Fontainebleau is a royal castle of mainly Renaissance and classical styles, near the city centre of Fontainebleau, about 60 kilometres southeast of Paris, France. The first traces of a castle in Fontainebleau date back to the 12th century. The last works were carried out in the 19th century.

The Château de Fontainebleau is one of the residences of the French sovereigns from Francis I, who made it his favourite residence, until Napoleon III. Several kings left their mark in the construction and history of the castle, which was thus a witness to the different phases of France's history since the Middle Ages. Surrounded by a vast park and close to the forest of Fontainebleau, the castle consists of elements of medieval, Renaissance, and classic styles.

It bears witness to the encounter between Italian art and the French tradition expressed both in its architecture and in its interior settings. This specificity is explained by the desire of François I to create a "new Rome" in Fontainebleau, in which Italian artists come to express their talent and influence French art. That's how...