It seems every king, queen, and emperor since has loved this palace — Louis XIII was born here, Louis XV was married here — but Fontainebleau has more Napoleon Bonaparte connections than any other palace. More info about travel to France: http://www.ricksteves.com/europe/france #ricksteveseurope #ricksteves #fontainebleau
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In the 16th and 17th centuries, Paris' booming elite class
made this area Europe's chateau heartland. Most of these luxurious getaways
started small, as hunting lodges,
and then grew. One of the most fascinating
is Fontainebleau. When it comes to showing the
sweep of French history, this chateau is unrivaled
among French palaces. While home to many kings
though the ages, today, with its iconic
and sweeping staircase, it's the domain
of tourists. The palace is
richly decorated in royal and imperi
al
symbolism, and its walls are hung
with exquisite tapestries. As you stroll, you can enjoy
the artistic shift in styles. There's stately Renaissance,
such as this fine hall, which dates from 1528. Overseen by
King Francis I, it inspired other
royal galleries, including the Hall of Mirrors
at Versailles. The opulent ballroom, which
hosted many royal parties, is Baroque. In the royal apartments,
these ceilings come with the giddy extravagance
of rococo. And, finally,
there's the more sober post-
revolutionary
neoclassical. The decor of this
stately library dates from the
19th century. It seems every king, queen,
and emperor since has loved this palace. Louis XIII was born here,
Louis XV was married here, and after the anti-monarchy
chaos of the French Revolution, Napoleon reigned as emperor
right here. Fontainebleau has more Napoleon
Bonaparte connections than any other palace, with his personal apartments
and an adjacent museum. Napoleon's throne room is
the only French throne room tha
t survives with
its original furniture. You'll see where
the emperor slept, the oversized desk
where he worked, and the little table
where he abdicated. Grand paintings
portray the emperor and his first wife, Josephine,
after their coronation. Rooms are decorated in the empire style
of the Napoleonic age. A tent-like room is dedicated
to Napoleon at war, with his small but iconic
battle coat and hat, field cot, and first-class
camp gear. Napoleon aspired to create
his own family dynasty. To turn
his Corsican blood blue, he married a Habsburg. His second wife,
Empress Marie Louise, provided what he called
"a royal womb." The hallway is lined
with busts and portraits of the sprawling imperial
family Napoleon created, relatives he put
on various thrones all across his empire. It's fascinating to consider the mix
of ideals, charisma, and megalomania
that shaped the emperor. This revolutionary hero came out of a movement that
killed off the old regime... only to create
a new old regime.
Comments
My favorite french palace. So many to see in it. And little tourists go there unlike in Versailles; so its very nice to spend time in it.
Thanks, Rick. You are always doing fine job.
I am glad to learn of the history of Fontainebleau with respect to Napoleon Bonaparte.
I love French history. thank you so much for post these video. viva France !!
this is one of my favorite royal palaces and imperial palaces in France and in the world
Oui! Je'aime vraiment France! Je ne peux pas attendre pour vister Binetôt! Merci d'avoir partagé!
Excellent reportage ! Every year, we visit the Palace of Fontainebleau and every year we discover new visite tour
Well their whole room looks gold thank you so much 🤓❤
With over 1500 rooms at the heart of 130 acres of parkland and gardens, Fontainebleau is the only royal and imperial château to have been continuously inhabited for seven centuries. 34 kings, 2 emperors, 800 years of history...A visit to Fontainebleau opens up an unparalleled view of French history, art history and architecture.
Wonder Palace, Magnifique!
Napoldon Bonaparte's favourite palace.
Wow that's a freaking Castle cool 😎👍
Vive le roi ⚜
When would modern acouterments such as electricity, indoor plumbing and heating systems have been added to an ancient structure such as this? Was it fitted with gas lights in the 19th century? How difficult would it have been to plumb it?
اللهم ارزقني خيرا على من هذا القصر
Napoleon had abdicated there 😢
Field Marshal Von Rundstedt’s HQ before the Normandy invasion 1944
❤️😎👍
И почему я нежила в их время?
did he jjust say "Fontaine-blue"??? Ha ha ha