Fontainebleau & Vaux le Vicomte Château Day Trip from Paris
This full day trip was booked with Viator.com. Vaux-le-Vicomte is also reviewed under des Châteaux. Pickup and drop off was at Paris City Vision. Audio guides were included with the tour.
Château de Fontainebleau has served as a royal residence for French monarchs from Louis VII to Napoleon III. Francis I and Napoleon I had the most influence on the Palace as it stands today. Château de Fontainebleau was originally a medieval castle; The Keep is the only remaining part of the original Château which dates from 1137.
The Throne Room of Napoleon I was the bedroom of the Kings of France from Henry IV to Louis XVI. Napoleon installed his throne in the former bedroom of the Kings of France in 1808 on the place where the royal bed sat. The ceiling dates from the reign of Louis XIII but the part that is directly over the throne was extended during Louis XIV’s reign. The decoration around the throne was designed in 1804 for the Palace of Saint-Cloud; the throne came from the Tuileries Palace.
The Emperor’s bedroom: Napoleon had his bedroom in the former dressing room of Louis XVI from 1808-1814. He could go directly to his offices through a hidden door behind the drapery. Paintings in shades of gold were added to give the chamber a richer feel. The furniture has remained unchanged except the removal of the washbasin in 1814.
Emporer’s Salon: is also known as the Abdication Salon. It was on this table that Napoleon signed his abdication on 4 April 1814, before his exile to Elba.
A Room for Guards: A guardroom was always located next to the royal bedchambers. The ceiling was decorated during the reign of Charles IX and renovated during the reign of Louis XIII. It is one of the oldest French-style ceilings which is a ceiling that consists of joists and beams and are decoratively painted. The bust is of Henry IV and and the vase decorated with Renaissance themes was one of the decorations added by Louis Philippe. It was made by the Sèvres porcelain manufactory in 1832.
Château de Fontainebleau embodies 800 years of history. Napoleon 1 brought it back to life after the French Revolution as it served as the Imperial palace. The Oval Courtyard is all that remains of the medieval castle.
