Palace of Fontainebleau
The Palace of Fontainebleau, in Fontainebleau, Seine- et- Marne is a French castle about 60 km south of Paris, which was used temporarily, inter alia, by Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. It is mainly famous for its interior from the Renaissance period, worked on numerous Italian artists, and in 1981 became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The first act of the opera Don Carlos by Giuseppe Verdi, is not attributable to the processed as a template drama by Friedrich Schiller, plays at Palace of Fontainebleau, where the described action is not historically verifiable.
The name of the castle Fontainebleau, formerly also spelled " Fontainbleau " is derived from " fontaine belle eau", meaning " source ( with ) nice water."
Architectural History
The plant was built under Francis I and Henry II at the site of a castle from the 13th century, added the dungeon in the Construction and was expanded by King Francis I to a hunting lodge. Start of construction of the visible today central building was 1528th The castle is considered the first Renaissance building on French soil. It was in the time of kings Henry IV, Louis XIII. and Louis XIV rebuilt several times.
Palace of Fontainebleau has five courtyards, a chapel, state rooms, frescoes and stucco. Work on the castle were carried out from 1530 by Italian artists such as Rosso Fiorentino. This brought Mannerist style elements and Italian of forms to France.
Louis XIV in the gardens of a new floor in the Baroque style, create a large canal and a new park.
Art in a Castle
With the Palace of Fontainebleau, the so-called First and Second School of Fontainebleau are linked. Both schools were founded by Italian artists.
- The first school had great influence on French art.
- The second school had developed by 1590 there were mostly French and Flemish artists, such as the Antwerp Frenchman and history painter Ambroise Dubois. (* 1543 in Antwerp, † 1615 in Fontainebleau ), the Paris Toussaint Dubreuil (* 1561, † 1602 ) and the Paris Fréminet Martin (* 1567, † 1619), works.
Both schools are found today only almost only works in the castle, which are inextricably linked to the building such as frescoes and ceiling paintings.
From outstanding artistic but also historical importance is the furnishing of the royal or imperial apartments. It is largely in the state of the last interior architectural redesign the time of Napoleon III. receive. This elements are superimposed from Renaissance to historicism. For wall and floor design original works dominate from the time of Louis XIII. The suites, which made Napoleon I. make for himself and the temporarily detained here Pope Pius VII, are preserved in their original state at that time.
In modern times, the American Conservatory was established in the castle, a summer academy for art and architecture.
Equipment
In the Palace Chapel " Chapelle de la Trinité " There is a historic organ. The instrument was built in 1772 by the organ builder François -Henri Clicquot, and served as an accompanying instrument to the singers and musicians of the chapel stands. During the French Revolution, the pipe material was destroyed. In 1967 the organ by organ builder Alfred was reconstructed core. It has 15 registers on three manuals today. The pedal ( Pédalier "à la Française " ) is attached firmly to the Positif. The instrument is equipped with a Gesamttremulanten.
Events in the castle Fontainebleau
- Edict of Fontainebleau ( restriction of religious freedom ) on 18 October 1685, Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes, which, inter alia, led to uprisings of the Huguenots.
- April 11, 1814: Napoleon abdicated.
- April 20, 1814: Napoleon bade farewell to his guard.
- From 1949 to 1966 the castle was the headquarters of the NATO Allied Forces Central Europe ( AFCENT ).