Palace of Fontainebleau
History
Fontainebleau forest for centuries was a hunting ground of French kings. It was the first in northern Europe, the royal residence, without any defences. The king invited for the
construction and decoration of the palace masters from Italy. After moving to Versailles, the
palace of his ancestors had been forgotten and
dilapidated, but Napoleon returned to its former
splendor of Fontainebleau.
Nowadays about 11 million tourists visit this Palace of French kings every year.
It is one of the most spectacular Heritage Sites in
France. Inside the castle we can see
a lot of unique paintings,
sculptures and antique furniture.
Park of Fontainebleau
ENGLISH GARDEN
Formerly the Pine Garden, this garden was redesigned in the English style in the 19th century and its broad lines were
developed under Napoleon 1st, with an artificial river running through it.
DIANA GARDEN OR THE QUEEN'S GARDEN
A space completely closed in by an orangery built by Henri IV in brick and stone. In the
centre of the garden, one can discover Diana’s Fountain
(1602), topped by the statue of the hunting goddess and
surrounded by four bronze dogs come from the Louvre where they had previously
been installed.
Since 1981 the palace and park of Fontainebleau were included in the list
of UNESCO World heritage sites in France.
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