A corner of Château de Fontainebleau. JP/Triwik Kurniasari
This home of French kings and queens offers a glimpse of French history, art and magnificent architecture.
“Don’t forget to go to Château de Fontainebleau. It’s a must-see,” my French-trained fashion designer friend Priyo Oktaviano said on learning of my plans to travel to France. Château de Fontainebleau — literally Fontainebleau castle situated around 70 kilometers southeast of Paris, is a palace of kings and emperors from François Ier (Francis I) to Napoléon III.
The imperial Château has more than 1,500 rooms and sits on a 130-acre plot of land that has been continuously inhabited for seven centuries. Members of French ruling dynasties including the Capétiens, Valois, Bourbons, Bonaparte and Orléans families used to live within these palace walls.
Based on Priyo’s suggestion and some research I did on the Internet, without hesitation I included the spot in my European tour itinerary.
Jardin de Diane, an English-style formal garden which was ornamented with a statue of goddess Diana. JP/Triwik Kurniasari
It was a bright, sunny yet chilly day in Paris when I first arrived at the city’s Gare du Nord train station. I had decided that Château de Fontainebleau would be my first destination on my three-day visit to France.
“Château de Fontainebleau was closed yesterday because of bad weather. I’m not sure if it’s already reopened. Please wait a minute. Let me check,” a man at the tourist information booth said in fluent English, picking up a phone to call the management of the castle.
Around two days prior to my arrival in France, heavy snowfalls hit the capital and had forced the closure of Charles de Gaulle International Airport as well as several tourist destinations including the Eiffel Tower. A few minutes later, the man got back to me. “You’re in luck. Château de Fontainebleau is open. But Château de Versailles is still closed.”
After buying train ticket and getting a few hints from the “information guy”, I was ready to set off for Fontainebleau. I was instructed to head to Gare de Lyon to take a train to Fontainebleau, but the station was so confusing that I found it difficult to find the platform.
A view of the heart of Fontainebleau. JP/Triwik Kurniasari
Fortunately, I met a local college girl who happened to be taking the same train as me. She led me to the train heading to Montereau, and we sat together in the carriage. Since I spoke only a little French, and she did not speak English, we hardly spoke during the journey. Apparently her station was before mine and just before she got off, she reminded me to take the bus A from Fontainebleau-Avon station. A few minutes later, I arrived at the station and took the A bus to Les Lilas, before getting off at the Château.
The grandeur of the castle is evident even before you go in the front gate, where you can see the castle’s horseshoe-shaped staircases that date back to the reign of Louis XIII in the 17th century.
After depositing my belongings and paying an admission fee, ¤8, I finally began my castle adventure. Along the corridor heading toward the sovereign Grand Apartements on the first floor are several white statues of former emperors including Philippe de France and Charles IV le Bel.
At the front of the Grand Apartements are a myriad beautiful paintings from past centuries. Then comes la Galerie des Assiettes (Plate Gallery) where painted plates are displayed on the wall. It is said that in the 19th century, King Louis-Philippe had 128 plates in Sèvres porcelain fitted into the woodwork, the Historical Service of Fontainebleau, which represents Fontainebleau, the Château, the forest and other royal houses, as well as other sites he visited. The cabinet, also in Sèvres porcelain, illustrates the marriage of his son in Fontainebleau in 1837.
The front part of the château where we can see the horseshoe-shaped staircase dated back from the reign of Louis XIII in the 17th century. JP/Triwik Kurniasari
Later I came to the vestibule of the chapel, which is one of the principle entrances to the castle. The entrance has fine doors of sculpted oak surrounded by a rich encasement of stones. The furniture, also from oak, was made during the Second Empire.
I later entered the Francis I Gallery, and as walked through it in my black boots, I felt as if I had just got out of a time machine and had traveled back to the time when emperors and empresses ruled France.
The gallery was developed by Francis I in the 16th century to link the royal apartment to the chapel of the Trinity. Attracted by the Italian renaissance, during his reign, the king called upon Italian artists trained in the latest fashions, including Rosso Florentino (a disciple of Michelangelo) and Francesco Primaticcio (a painter at the court of Mantua). The “F” letter of Francis I, his emblem (the salamander) and the royal coat of arms can be seen here.
Then there is the guard room, the first of the king’s apartments, which used to be occupied by the soldiers of the guard. Next is the ballroom, the construction of which started under Francis I and finished during the reign of his son, Henri II. The paneled ceiling and the monumental fireplace are the work of Philibert Delorme, while the rostrum above the entrance was intended for musicians.
There is also the Louis XIII salon where the king was born in 1601, which has paintings, chandeliers, wooden chairs, sofas and china. Another gallery is la Galerie de Diane or Diana Gallery, which is an 80-meter-long and 7-meter wide, happens to be the longest room in the castle.
Built by Henri IV, its decorations recount the story of the goddess Diana. By the 18th century, the room was dilapidated and then restored under Napoleon I and Louis XVIII, before it was later converted into a library under Napoléon III. The big globe at one end of the room was made for Napoléon I.
The Château also features the marvelous chambers of kings and queens. The empress’ chamber, for example, was used by all the queens of France from queen Marie de Médicis (wife of Henri IV) to Empress Eugénie de Montijo. The silk hanging on its walls and covering the furniture was rewoven in Lyon, based on the original models of the 18th century.
Also not to be missed are the two Marie Antoinette’s boudoirs, Turkish-style dressing rooms that were gifts from Louis XVI to his wife. While admiring the opulent décor and enchanting furniture, it seemed like I was watching the empresses spending their time in the room, sitting on cozy chairs, combing their hair and dressing themselves in beautiful royal gowns.
The bright light of the gift shop’s lamps at the end of my long trip around the castle “awoke” me from the historical journey. I stopped there for a while to buy some postcards with lovely paintings of Fontainebleau on them.
When you visit the Château, don’t forget to take a stroll around its four main courtyards and three gardens. Among the gardens is the Cour de la Fontaine, which overlooks the Carp Lake. From the side of the courtyard, we can see the flying birds and swimming swans. Also drop by at the Grand Parterre, the largest formal garden in Europe, which was created between 1660 and 1664 by André Le Nôtre and Louis Le Vau.
Not far from the entrance gate is the Jardin de Diane, an English-style formal garden, built during the reign of Henry IV, which contains a statue of goddess Diana. Here are plants including ginkgo biloba, bluebeard, and sweet gum. Several birds, including pigeons and peacock-like creatures, were also in the gardens that day.
The sun was beginning to set and it was beginning to get cold as I left the Jardin de Diane. It seemed like one day was not enough to tour the whole castle and see its gardens. As I walked through the streets of Fontainebleau to the nearest bus shelter, I told myself I wanted to visit this town again some day in the future during spring or summer.
Travel tips
•You can reach Fontainebleau simply by train. From Gare de Lyon station, take a train heading to either Montargis Sens or Montereau, get off at Fontainebleau-Avon station then take the “Ligne A” bus destined for Les Lilas and get off at the Château stop.
•If you are eager for adventure, you could also reach the castle on foot, which takes around 30 minutes from the Fontainebleau-Avon train station.
•If you plan to travel around the outskirts of Paris, including to Fontainebleau, you can buy a 1-6 zone pass which is also valid for airport links and travel to Disneyland Resort Paris and Versailles. With this Paris Visite pass, you can also get a discount on the entrance fee to several travel spots.
•If you don’t have a 1-6 zone pass, you can buy a regular ticket directly from the ticket counter. Also, bring some small change to pay for bus tickets while on board.
•The Château also provides an audio guide for paying visitors.
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