Paris_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Lonely Planet [269]
The first chateau on this site was built in the early 12th century and enlarged by Louis IX a century later. Only a single medieval tower survived the energetic Renaissance-style reconstruction undertaken by François I (r 1515–47), whose superb artisans, many of them brought over from Italy, blended Italian and French styles to create what is known as the First School of Fontainebleau. The Mona Lisa once hung here amid other fine artworks of the royal collection.
During the latter half of the 16th century, the chateau was further enlarged by Henri II (r 1547–59), Catherine de Médicis and Henri IV (r 1589–1610), whose Flemish and French artists created the Second School of Fontainebleau. Even Louis XIV got in on the act: it was he who hired Le Nôtre to redesign the gardens.
Fontainebleau, which was not damaged during the Revolution (though its furniture was stolen or destroyed), was beloved and much restored by Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon III was another frequent visitor. During WWII the chateau was turned into a German headquarters. After it was liberated by US General George Patton in 1944, part of the complex served as Allied and then NATO headquarters from 1945 to 1965.
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TRANSPORT: FONTAINBLEAU
Distance from Paris 67km
Direction Southeast
Travel time 35 to 60 minutes by SNCF train
Car Take route A6 from Porte d’Orléans, direction Lyon, exit ‘Fontainebleau.
Bus Line A links the train station with the chateau (€1.50), 2km southwest, every 10 minutes from 5.30am to 9.30pm; get off the train and cross under the tracks through ‘Sortie Place de la Gare’ to reach the bus. The last train back to Paris leaves Fontainebleau around 9.45pm (10pm Saturday, 10.30pm Sunday).
SNCF train Up to 30 daily SNCF commuter trains link Paris’ Gare de Lyon with Fontainebleau-Avon station (€7.60). A package (adult/10-17yr/4-9yr €23/16.70/8.10) includes return transport from Paris, bus transfers and chateau admission.
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Visits take in the state apartments (Grands Appartements), which embrace several outstanding rooms. Louis XV wed Marie Leczinska in 1725 and the future Napoleon III was christened in 1810 in the spectacular Chapelle de la Trinité (Trinity Chapel), with ornamentation dating from the first half of the 17th century. The Galerie François 1er (François I Gallery), a jewel of Renaissance architecture, was decorated from 1533 to 1540 by Il Rosso, a Florentine follower of Michelangelo. In the wood panelling, François I’s monogram appears repeatedly, along with his emblem, a dragonlike salamander.
The Salle de Bal (Ballroom), a 30m-long room dating from the mid-16th century that was also used for receptions and banquets, is renowned for its mythological frescoes, marquetry floor and Italian-inspired coffered ceiling. The large windows afford views of the Cour Ovale (Oval Courtyard) and the gardens. The gilded bed in the 17th- and 18th-century Chambre de l’Impératrice (Empress’ Bedroom) was never used by Marie-Antoinette, for whom it was built in 1787. The gilding in the Salle du Trône (Throne Room), the royal bedroom before the Napoleonic period, is in three shades: gold, green and yellow.
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PICNIC IN THE GROUNDS
The chateau begs to be greedily ogled at long and hard. Shop for fresh fruit at the outdoor food market, Marché République (rue des Pins; 8am-1pm Tue, Fri & Sat); create your own cheeseboard at Odile and Gilles Goursat’s Fromagerie Barthelemy ( 01 64 22 21 64; 92 rue Grande; 7.30am-12.30pm & 3.30-7.30pm Mon, Fri & Sat, 8.30am-12.30pm & 3.30-7.30pm Wed, 8.30am-12.30pm & 4-7.30pm Thu, 8am-1pm Sun), one of Île de France’s finest cheese shops; and buy something to drink from supermarket Monoprix (58 rue Grande; 8.45am-7.45pm Mon-Sat, 9am-1pm Sun). Then head to the lawns for a picnic in paradise. Those with kids who can’t sit still might prefer the playground-equipped garden of the