The residence of no fewer than 34 kings and 2 emperors, Fontainebleau is the only château to have been home to the Kings and Queens of France for nearly 8 centuries.
As living evidence of what life was like in the royal court over all these centuries, it embodies the French aristocratic lifestyle more strongly than anywhere else in the country. Discover the Renaissance masterpieces commissioned by François I, the major improvements commanded by Henri IV, the sophisticated interiors introduced by Marie-Antoinette, the ceremonial apartment of Napoléon Bonaparte, the ostentation of Napoléon III and Eugénie… and much more.
Between 1849 and 1875, Barbizon attracted more than 60 painters, most of whom came here to paint the natural world, and particularly the Forest of Fontainebleau. The artistic atmosphere that surrounds the Auberge Ganne is almost tangible. This famous inn was a favourite haunt for the painting community, whose members decorated it in exchange for board and lodging.
When Nicolas Fouquet commissioned the architect Louis Le Vau in 1653, he already had a formidable reputation. As the King’s favourite architect, he is considered today as the most influential ambassador for the Italian style in France. This range of influences gave him the raw material from which to develop a new and powerful style of his own for the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte; a style that would shape French architecture for the next 150 years.
The 17th century masterpiece that is Vaux-le-Vicomte provided the backdrop for major historic events and witnessed the tragic eviction of its creator Nicolas Fouquet, later imprisoned following a bizarrely incredible trial.