Palace of Fontainebleau

Fontainebleau Castle is a former royal residence in central France. It consists of a Renaissance-Mannerist palace and the surrounding landscape park with several ponds. The interiors of the castle are open to visitors. You can see a gallery of paintings created by Franciszek I, royal apartments, Napoleon's bedroom or the Chinese museum of Empress Eugenia.

The residence was based on a fortified medieval castle. It was built on the order of King Francis I. At that time Fontainebleau and its surroundings were the favorite hunting grounds of the French rulers. Created on the basis of a defensive foundation, the palace was the first fully Renaissance building erected in France. A painting school created by Italian and Dutch brush masters operated here in the 16th century. The residence has been on the UNESCO list since 1981.

The palace consists of several parts. The most representative buildings with monumental entrance stairs are located around the Courtyard of Honor. The sightseeing route leads through splendidly decorated royal rooms and 19th-century interiors, in which there are exhibitions dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte and his family. The curiosities include the collection of Chinese porcelain, knick knacks and works of art collected by Napoleon III's wife, Eugenia.