Château de Chantilly is a Magnificent Marvel
The original Château de Chantilly (10th -14th centuries) belonged to the Lords of Senlis (Senlis is only 11km from Chantilly ). Nothing remains of that château nor of the one that followed. The Château you see today dates from around 1560.
Château de Chantilly
Two Parts to the Château
There are two parts to the Château de Chantilly, le Petit Château and le Grand Château. If you arrive during the lunch hour you may want to eat at La Capitainerie which is in the Petit Château. Our lunch there was a delightful experience!
La Captainerie
In 1643 Anne of Austria gave the Château to the Princess of Condé. Her son would be known as “The Great Condé” and is the one responsible for the beautiful parks around the Château de Chantilly. He had these parks designed by André Le Nôtre who later would work on the Versaille gardens.
Chantilly Gardens
The Stables
The great stables (18th century) were built by “The Great Condé’s” great-grandson known as the Duke of Bourbon.
The Château de Chantilly suffered serious damage during the Revolution. Part of the restoration project would be the building of the English gardens which are to the left of the Château as you are facing the ornamental lake.
Stone and Iron Staircase
Inside the Château, the main vestibule which is located in the Grand Château has a beautiful staircase. The vestibule itself is hewn out of stone and the iron banisters are of similar scale to the staircase at the Palais-Royale in Paris.
Grand Château staircase
Condé Museum
When the Château de Chantilly was rebuilt it was done so specifically to house a museum for the Condé family, Condé Museum. The Picture room was one of the rooms that was specifically designed to display works of art. T
The Duke of Aumale who owned the Château de Chantilly left specific instructions in his will that none of the paintings were to be moved, rearranged or loaned to other museums. This decree would ultimately make Chantilly the second largest French art gallery, exceeded only by the Louvre. Look for the Duke of Aumale, Henri d’Orléans initials, H.O., on ceilings, windows and door handles. He was just 8 years old when he inherited the Château from his great-uncle the Duke of Bourbon.
Chantilly’s French Art Gallery
The Library
On the first floor of the Petit Château you will find The Library (Cabinet des livres) which is the second largest in France apart from the Bibliothèque Nationale. It contains 30,000 books from the 15th century (just after the invention of printing), 300 illuminated manuscripts and is, in general, overwhelming to someone such as myself who loves books!
The Library (Cabinet des livres)
The Library (Cabinet des livres)
Grand Apartments
Also in the Petit Château on the first floor are the ceremonial Grand Apartments decorated in white and gold for the Duke of that are comprised of two rooms, the Prince’s Chamber and the Large Monkey Room. The Large Monkey Room shows allegories of war, hunting, music, architecture and alchemy.
Grand Appartments
The private apartments of the Duke and Duchess of Aumale, are also on the first floor. These rooms remain exactly as they were when the Duke and Duchess occupied them.
The Chapel
The stained glass known as the Psyche Windows represent masterpieces of the French Renaissance brought to Chantilly from the Château de Ecouen. In the chapel, Jean Goujon receives credit of the Ecouen altar. The sepia colored stained glass is incredibly beautiful.
Ecouen Altar
Psyche Windows
You will enter the Château de Chantilly grounds via the Grille of Honor (gate and ticket office) so when you exit, turn right to visit the Living Horse Museum (Musée Vivant du Cheval).
Living Horse Museum (Musée Vivant du Cheval)
Leave a Reply