Forest of Fontainebleau
The Forest of Fontainebleau ( Forêt de Fontainebleau ) in France is one of the largest contiguous forest areas of Western Europe. The painters of the Barbizon school found many of their motifs in the forest of Fontainbleau.
General
It is located about 50 kilometers south of Paris in the area of Fontainebleau city (15,000 inhabitants), which is widely famous for its splendid Renaissance chateau, which was built in the 16th century by King Henry II.
The forest covers an area of 25,000 hectares and is located at an altitude 42-144 m. Through the forest lead the A6 motorway, the National Roads 6 and 7, as well as the railway line Paris -Lyon. Particularly noteworthy are the often bizarre sandstone formations that are often used by climbing friends.
The composition of the forest species: 45% oak, 40 % pine, 10 % Book. In addition, you will find 3,000 different fungal species and 7,000 animal species, 5,000 species of insects.
History
On the rock shelters and caves of the massif of Fontainbleau there is a wealth of engravings from the Stone Age (from about 8000 BC) of the German Amateurarchäologin Marie EP König ( 1899-1988 ) were studied. Around the year 1000 the forest was still referred to as the "Forest of Brière ". Since 1167 here a royal residence is occupied. Since the mid-17th century, only about 20 % of today's surface were still forested due to the intensive use, Colbert, the minister of the Sun King made sure that there was large-scale plantings; as 6,000 hectares of forest were only newly created in 1716. 1786 pine trees were introduced here, and 1830 were a further 6,000 hectares planted to pines. During this time, discovered the artists of the French romance of this retreat that, although created to a large extent artificial, but retains the charm of an unspoilt natural landscape in part to this day. Since 1849, the railroad led to Fontainebleau, so the area was also for the Paris to a popular destination. A first nature reserve for the preservation of forests in 1861 set up.
Use
The sandstone is used commercially since 1330. Traditionally, it is the city of Paris road surfacing. So in 1831 3.000.000 paving stones were delivered. For reasons of conservation, this usage that 2,000 people had been working was, however, severely restricted in the late 19th century. In addition, also has the use of sand resources for glass blowing, which continues to this day, a three hundred year old tradition.
Since the 19th century, the use was promoted as a recreation area this hitherto somewhat natural forest through the establishment of trails and appropriate signage. Today, the length of the marked trails is 365 km. The association Amis de la Forêt de Fontainebleau is particularly committed to the conservation of the forest.
The climbing on the sandstone formations of the forest also has a long tradition. Fontainebleau is one of the most famous bouldering areas and climbing areas around the world. In 1900, boarded the " Bleausards " ( as the local bouldering call ) the sandstone cliffs. In the so-called Fontainebleau boulder courses was invented in 1947. This is a series of individual boulder problems whose difficulty has a certain homogeneity. The course is numbered, color-coded and is hintereinanderweg climbed. Some courses are designed so that the soil must not be entered during its commission. Rather, it is possible to abide by climbing down, crossing and jumping over continuous rock contact.
Attractions
On -known buildings in the region are:
- The Tour Dene Court ⊙ 48.4338888888892.7261111111111, built in 1851 and after a partial destruction by an earthquake ( 1878), rebuilt, allowed from a height of 136 meters a panoramic view of the forest.
- The aqueduct de la Vanne that supplies the Paris basin of Montsouris with water.
- The Aqueduct du Loing.
- The Millet -Rousseau Monument, which commemorates two painters who belong to the Barbizon School, named after the village of Barbizon, where the monument stands; this group, which also belonged to Corot, can be seen as a forerunner of the Impressionists. The forest gave them lots of images.
- The Abbey of Franchard.
- The Georges Mandel Monument, which commemorates the murder of this Minister on 7 July 1944.
Find out more
An image of the Fontainebleau forest is found in the courtyard of the Bibliothèque nationale Site François Mitterrand in Paris. There, the flora of the forest has been replanted with its corresponding trees.
The first act of Giuseppe Verdi's opera " Don Carlos " plays in the forest of Fontainebleau. He also served as the backdrop of the film trilogy " Fourmis " by Bernard Werber.