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One of Napoleon's heirs just got married in a medieval palace. Here's a closer look inside the lavish Chateau de Fontainebleau, home to kings and emperors for 700 years.
One of Napoleon's heirs just got married in a medieval palace. Here's a closer look inside the lavish Chateau de Fontainebleau, home to kings and emperors for 700 years.
It has been used as a royal residence for nearly 700 years, making it the only royal palace in France to be in continuous use that long, Le Francofil reports.
While the exact construction date is unknown, Very Frenchy reports that the palace can be traced back to at least 1137.
For centuries, the palace was a popular hunting lodge for French kings, but it wasn't until the 16th century that Francis I transformed the hunting lodge into a Renaissance château.
Since then, the palace has been renovated by every king who has lived there, making it a reflection of centuries of French art and architecture.
Most recently, Jean-Christophe, Prince Napoléon, a descendant of former French Emperor Napoléon I, used the palace for his wedding reception, after marrying Olympia von und zu Arco-Zinneberg, an Austrian countess who is a descendant of Napoleon I's second wife, Marie-Louise.
For nearly seven centuries, the Palace of Fontainebleau has served as a dwelling for French kings. It is, as reported by Le Francofil, the only royal palace to have stayed in continuous use for that long.
Château de Fontainebleau is one of the largest royal residences in France.
It traces its roots back to the 12th century, and for centuries had been a popular hunting ground for French Kings. It is the only French palace to have stayed in continuous use for nearly 700 years, having been used by every French king from 16th century Francis I to 19th century Emperor Napoleon III.
In 1169, Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, consecrated the chapel in the palace. As reported by the New York Times, Saint Louis (Louis IX) founded a convent at the palace in 1259.
The palace had been falling into ruins until the 16th century, when Francis I had it refurbished. He was inspired by the Italian Renaissance, and, according to Very French, instructed his architects to built a "New Roma."
This gallery pictured below was named after Francis I.
Per the New York Times, the gallery is 200 feet long and features the work of popular Italian artists. According to Britannica, the artwork specifically created for the palace came to be known as School of Fontainebleau — an art movement dedicated to the mixture of Italian and French art styles.
But today, most know the palace best as the home of Emperor Napoléon I, who also renovated the property during his reign.
The conqueror's embellishments ranged from tearing down an entire wing of the château to built a larger courtyard, to placing an "N" on the iron gates at the entrance of the palace.
The palace was also the place where Napoléon finally abdicated the throne. The Times reports that once the emperor was exiled to St. Helena, he referred back to the palace as "a house of the ages" and "the true abode of kings."
With centuries of stories in its walls and a whopping 1,500 rooms, every aspect of this palace has been touched by history.
In 1831, Emperor Napoléon III, nephew of Napoléon I, decided to build a new theater in the palace. He hired Hector Lefuel to design a 400-seat theater, inspired by Marie Antoinette's Trianon theater at the Palace of Versailles.
Some of France's greatest architects, including Philibert Delorme, Ange-Jacques Gabriel, and André Le Nôtre, also worked on the palace over the years.
It has embellishments from Henri II, his wife, Catherine de Medici, and his mistress, Diane de Poitiers. The palace also has a Turkish boudoir, built in 1777 for Marie Antoinette.
Louis XIV — also known as the Sun King, who ordered the construction of the Palace of Versailles — is the one who also ordered the expansive gardens at Château de Fontainebleau, which, as the Times reports, are among the largest in all of Europe.
In October 2019, Jean-Christophe, a descendant of Napoléon I, married Countess Olympia von und zu Arco-zinneberg, a descendant of Napoleon's second wife, Marie Louise.
They had their lavish wedding reception at the palace, where their descendants had lived nearly a century before.
The celebration turned out to be a beautiful ode to love and a respectful nod to history.
