France is home to some of Europe’s most beautiful castles and palaces. One of them, the Fontainebleau Palace, is located some 55 kilometers (34.18 miles) southeast of the French capital, and it makes a wonderful day trip from Paris. Being home to the monarchs of France since the 12th century, it’s a place filled with history.
Fontainebleau Palace
One of the largest palaces in France was home to the French rulers between the 12th and the 19th centuries. Almost all of them rebuilt it a bit, leaving their mark and creating an architectural masterpiece. The Fontainebleau Palace has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981 and opened to the public in 1927 as a national museum.
Fontainebleau Palace History
The Fontainebleau Palace was built as a medieval castle and was first mentioned in 1137. However, it started getting its present shape in the first half of the 1500s. This is when King Francis I began an extensive reconstruction of the castle, making it the first Renaissance palace in France.
King Francis, I also created the large square in front of the palace with the additional buildings surrounding it. His descendants continued working on a palace, expanding and refurbishing it in new fashionable styles. King Henry II and his wife Catherine de Medici built a recognizable horseshoe-shaped staircase that’s used even today for entering the Fontainebleau Palace. The staircase was later on reconstructed by King Louis XIII.
Fontainebleau Palace was home to some of the most famous artworks in the world. Probably the most prominent among them was Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, bought by King Francis I by a famous Italian painter.
Napoleon Bonaparte established a military school inside the palace. He also used it to meet Pope Pius VII before crowning him as an emperor. A few years later, the Pope was imprisoned in the Fontainebleau Palace.
The château was occupied by the Nazis on two occasions during the Second World War in 1940 and 1941. After the war, it was NATO’s headquarters until 1966. The palace was thoroughly restored during the 1960s, as well.
Today, it’s a museum open to the public and one of the best preserved French palaces.
Fontainebleau Palace Staircase
Recently restored, the horseshoe-shaped staircase is one of the architectural Fontainebleau Palace highlights. Built by King Henry II and his wife Catherine de Medici, they were reconstructed by King Louis XIII.
It was designed as two flights of stairs with a landing in the middle. Each flight consists of 46 steps. The material used for its construction is sandstone from a nearby Fontainebleau Forest.
The Napoleon I Museum
…the true residence of Kings, the house of the centuries. Perhaps it was not a rigorously architectural palace, but it was certainly a place of residence well-thought-out and perfectly suitable.
Gallery of Francis I
The famous staircase will lead you to one of the French Renaissance masterpieces – the Gallery of Francis I. Constructed in 1528, it was a direct passage from the Royal apartments to the court chapel of Trinitaires. Painters Roso Fiorentino and Francesco Primaticcio made numerous wall paintings inside it. Today, the Gallery of Francis I is considered one of the first Renaissance artworks in France.
Tips for visiting the Fontainebleau Palace
⤷ Fontainebleau Palace opening hours: The château is open every day except Tuesday (and a few public holidays throughout the year) 9:30 am – 5 pm (October – March), or 9:30 – 6 pm (April – September). The last entrance is 45 minutes before closing time.
⤷ Fontainebleau Palace online ticket
The Fontainebleau Palace is one of the most beautiful chateaus in France and the whole of Europe. A visit to it makes a wonderful trip back in time to the history of France. All while enjoying a beautiful architectural masterpiece.
Have you visited Fontainebleau Palace or some other French castles? Let me know in the comments below!
