Musée National du Château de Fontainebleau

Napoleon's affection for this palace is understandable. He followed the pattern of a succession of French kings who used Fontainebleau as a resort and hunted in its forests. François I converted the hunting lodge into a royal palace in the Italian Renaissance style, bringing artists, including Benvenuto Cellini, there to work for him. Under this patronage, the School of Fontainebleau gained prestige, led by painters Rosso Fiorentino and Primaticcio. The artists adorned the 63m-long (207-ft.) Gallery of François I, where stucco-framed panels depict such scenes as The Rape of Europa and the monarch holding a pomegranate, a symbol of unity. The salamander, the symbol of the Chevalier king, is everywhere.

Sometimes called the Gallery of Henri II, the Ballroom displays the interlaced initials "H&D," referring to Henri and his mistress, Diane de Poitiers. Competing with this illicit tandem are the initials "H&C," symbolizing Henri and his dowdy wife, Catherine de Médici. At one end of the room is a monumental fireplace supported by two bronze satyrs, made in 1966 (the originals were melted down during the Revolution). At the other side is the Balcony of the Musicians, with sculptured garlands. Looking up, you can see a wonderful example of a Renaissance ceiling displaying octagonal coffering adorned with rosettes. Above the wainscoting is a series of frescoes, painted between 1550 and 1558, that depict subjects such as The Feast of Bacchus. An architectural curiosity is the richly adorned Louis XV Staircase. To make room for the monumental stairway, the floor was removed from the upper level bedroom of the duchesse d'Etampes, but luckily the beautiful sculpture and paintings by artist Primaticcio, which decorated the duchess's suite, were incorporated into the final staircase design. Of the Italian frescoes that were preserved, one depicts the queen of the Amazons climbing into Alexander the Great's bed.

When Louis XIV ascended to the throne, Fontainebleau was all but forgotten due to the Sun King's preoccupation with Versailles. However, he wasn't opposed to using the palace for houseguests, specifically such unwanted ones as Queen Christina, who had abdicated the throne of Sweden in 1657 in a fit of religious fervor. Fontainebleau was conveniently on her way to Naples, which she was plotting to seize. Though Louis XV and Marie Antoinette took an interest in Fontainebleau, the château found its renewed glory under Napoleon, who used it as one of his bases. Imperial influences include the throne room where he abdicated rule of France, his offices, his monumental bedroom, and his bathroom. Some of the smaller Napoleonic rooms contain his personal mementos and artifacts. You will leave the chateau via the very horseshoe-shaped stairway where Napoleon stood to bid farewell to his shattered army before departing for Elba.

After your trek through the palace, visit the gardens and especially the carp pond; the gardens, however, are only a prelude to the Forest of Fontainebleau.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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