Starting from the XIII century, the castle was a royal residence. The main reconstruction of the castle was carried out under Francis I in the XVI century, however, a more ancient donjon (donjon – tower) and the courtyard, where Louis XIII was later baptized, have been preserved.
Fontainebleau is an endless sequence of unique interiors from the XVI-XIX centuries. Here is the huge ballroom, where Mary Stuart, Diane de Poitiers, Henry II… danced. Nearby are the apartments of the mistress, and later the wife of Louis XIV – Madame de Maintenon. Next is the room where Louis XIII was born, next door is the gallery where crowned persons strolled, starting with Catherine de’ Medici and including Peter the Great…
The throne room, royal bedrooms, the Council Chamber, the church where Louis XV and Maria Leszczyńska were married, where the future Napoleon III was communed…
And nearby are the apartments of Napoleon Bonaparte, where he abdicated the throne and was arrested….
The palace is surrounded by several parks – majestic and intimate…
Around Fontainebleau is a powerful forest, where kings have long hunted and where witches gathered in the Middle Ages. It was to this forest, at the crossroads of roads, that Napoleon rode out to meet the Pope, who came to crown the future emperor.
The castle is located 60 kilometers southeast of Paris. One of the four most majestic and powerful castle-palaces in France and the Paris region.
