Luxurious Chantilly in France is a worthy “competitor” to the magnificent Versailles. Chantilly Castle - how to get there from Paris, France Chantilly Palace

The Chantilly castle-palace is famous not so much for its architectural decoration as for its collection of paintings and ancient books. Unique masterpieces of famous masters are stored here. Many compare the Chantilly collection with the Versailles collection. And this comparison makes sense. After all, works by Raphael, Poussin, and Watteau are kept here.

There are more than a thousand paintings here. There are also rare books, many of which are over 400 years old. Chantilly's real treasure is the Gutenberg Bible. It is the very first printed publication in the world. There are 30 thousand copies of books in total.

Collection of paintings and ancient books at Chaitilly Castle

If we talk about Versailles and Chantilly, then it is worth remembering that many Versailles fountains, famous throughout the world, were created in the image and likeness of the Chantilly fountains. It was the drawings of Le Nôtre, who designed the Chantilly Palace and its gardens with fountains, that formed the basis for the design of the pools and springs at Versailles.

Palace as a gift to the groom

The castle stood on these lands back in the 10th century. Then he wondered how impregnable fortress, located among impenetrable forests. It was strengthened and strengthened, ditches were built, towers were erected. At that time, he did not look beautiful at all, but rather intimidating.

New life came to Chantilly in the 16th century when the monarch gave it to his groom. Yes, yes, the groom. Only in France at that time, being a groom was an honorable profession.

Only people of noble birth were hired for this position, because horses at that time were the only means of transportation, and selecting the best horses for the king and his army was a paramount task.

Chaitiyi Castle is an impregnable fortress located among impenetrable forests

The chief groom at that time was called the constable and he was Anne from the Montmorency dynasty. In his time, the chief groom no longer selected horses, but was practically the commander of the army. There is a funny story connected with the name of the constable. In fact, his name was not Ann, but Anna.

At that time, both men and women could bear this name, but to avoid confusion, historians decided to remove the last letter from the name of the commander-in-chief. If this had not been done, then tourists, and even the French themselves, would constantly ask the question whether the king’s constable was a woman? And so everything is immediately clear.

Anne receives ownership of the palace in 1528 and decides that he does not need so many defensive structures. Montmorency wants to make Chantilly more airy and modern. To implement this idea, he hires Jeanne Bulland, who builds a new palace in the Renaissance style.

In addition, Ann decided that it was necessary to build another palace nearby to create a complex. But, unfortunately, the second palace has not reached our time. All that remains of it is a building called “Capitenri”.

The idea of the architect Le Nôtre

Then the castle comes into the possession of the Bourbon-Condés. The Duke of Condé decides to build a completely unique and luxurious palace, in which he could hold lavish balls. He invites the architect Le Nôtre, a genius of his time, to implement his idea.

Luxurious Shaitiyi Palace

He designs a magnificent building and also lays out a park next to it, in which he builds those same amazing fountains. The area surrounding the palace became a real field of activity not only for Le Nôtre, but also for those who rebuilt the castle after him. As a result, a huge stable, a hippodrome and a Chinese garden appeared here, which was exotic at that time. A little later, an English garden with swans and the Temple of Venus was laid out near Chantilly.

Chantilly was very popular place. Life was in full swing here, famous people they had fun at balls or simply came to visit their owners. All the owners of the castle loved art very much, so they collected paintings and other valuable exhibits, which now adorn the palace museum.

Paintings and other valuable exhibits adorn the palace museum.

During the revolution, the palace was attacked and looted, but after the situation stabilized, it was one of the first to be restored and almost all the art stolen from here was returned to Chantilly. So tourists, spending 25 minutes on the road from Paris, will be able to enjoy the luxury of Chantilly and the splendor of its museum collection.

Chantilly Castle - a real museum of French history - VIDEO

The town of Chantilly is located 40 kilometers from Paris. French castle Chantilly is built on a huge rock, surrounded on all sides by water. The Château de Chantilly ranks second only to the Louvre in terms of its collection of historical masterpieces.

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Contacts

Address: Chateau de Chantilly, 60500 Chantilly, France

Telephone: +33 3 44 27 31 80

Opening hours: from 10:00 to 17:15, Tue — closed

Official site: www.domainedechantilly.com

French castles are an incredibly beautiful sight that impresses with their interesting architecture and rich history. From the very first step you are transported many centuries ago and feel the spirit of that era with every cell of your skin. Among such castles, along with the Loire Valley, it is worth noting the Chantilly Castle.

Despite the fact that it is less known to tourists, it is in no way inferior to the above-mentioned castles. A trip to Chantilly will give you a lot of pleasure and unforgettable impressions, because this is exactly the place where you don’t mind spending either time or money.

History of Chantilly Castle

The castle has rich history, which you can learn about during your excursion to Chantilly or continue reading the information below.
So the story Chantilly Castle dates back to the times of the ancient Romans, when they defeated the Gauls. Then one of the warriors named Cantilius built the first villa on this site. It is believed that his name gave the name to the future castle. In the 11th century, a medieval fortress. Until the 14th century, it was a structure where battles took place and the local population could take refuge. But in 1358 the fortress was plundered, and it ceased to fulfill its original purpose.

Later, in the mid-16th century, this area was inherited by Anne de Montmorency. He actively began developing the territory and has already a short time The Small Palace appeared here. It was built in the Renaissance style because Montmorency had just returned from a campaign in Italy and was greatly impressed by the art of the Renaissance. By the way, this palace can still be seen today.

A little later, the French commander invited Jean Bulland to build the Grand Castle. Although the castle turned out to be beautiful in appearance, it had an unfortunate history: it was constantly passed from hand to hand, and during the French Revolution it was plundered and a prison was set up here. Unfortunately, the building has not survived to this day, and its image can only be seen in paintings and photographs.

After Montmorency, the Chantilly Palace passed into the possession of the Duke of Condé. Being a rich man, he decided to completely remodel the fortress into a luxurious castle, which he was good at

Oh it worked. He used the help of the then very famous architect Le Nôtre, who created a luxurious park. Despite the centuries, it is still a work of art. After the death of the Duke of Condé, the castle continued to be destroyed and the surrounding area expanded. During the reign of Marie Antoinette, this place became her residence. Here they laid out a garden, built a hippodrome and began to breed thoroughbred horses.

After the French Revolution, Chantilly Castle was one of the first places where reconstruction work was carried out. Already at the end of the 19th century, the castle d'Anghien was rebuilt, which in appearance resembles Grand Palace, and restored the original appearance of many paintings and sculptures.

It is worth noting that the owners of the castle knew a lot about “beauty”. They knew how to appreciate beautiful paintings and sculptures. Famous creators often visited them, including Racine and La Fontaine. If we are already talking about paintings, then it would not be out of place to remember the Duke of Aumal, who, during his ownership of the castle, collected a significant collection of painting masterpieces and laid the foundation for Condé Museum.

What interesting things can you see at Chantilly Castle?

Chantilly Castle looks very original: it is surrounded on all sides by a moat with water, and you can only get into the room through one bridge. Before entering the castle, tourists are greeted by a female sphinx and sculptures of dogs, made very realistically. Further, upon entering the castle, you can note that it has intertwined two styles: Gothic and Baroque. ABOUT gothic style“they speak” of powerful walls, sharp spiers, and about the Baroque - niches, oval windows, balustrades, grilles and other similar elements.

The interior design is impressive: marble, gilding. Chic chandeliers, stained glass windows, copies of famous sculptures of the Renaissance era are installed in the niches, luxurious dishes, all the walls are hung with paintings.

Museums in Chantilly
Here is located Condé Museum, which is second only to the storage of exhibits of French classical art. The castle is also equipped library, where, according to conservative estimates, about 30,000 books are stored. Some of them you will not be able to see, as they are stored in a special room with a certain temperature and humidity. Some “specimens” are over 400 years old.

In the city of Chantilly there is a world famous Lace Museum. Both new fashion items and ancient lace items are presented here for everyone to see. The museum has 3 halls, one of which houses a permanent exhibition, and the others - temporary ones. For those who want to visit here, it is worth noting that the museum is only open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10.00 to 17.30.

Near the castle on the site of the old stables is open Horse Museum, but the museum exhibits are live horses that put on entire performances. Twice a year, the Diana and Jockey Club races are organized here.

The castle once belonged to the barons of Montmorency and the princes of Condé. Many of them patronized artists, writers, and collected works of art. The most outstanding and educated people of France, the fabulist La Fontaine (whose fables Krylov translated), La Bruyère, Molière, visited here.

The castle is surrounded by a small pond

Bronze dogs guard the entrance to the castle, by Nicolas Cahen, 1880.

Statues of two hunting dogs belonging to the Duke of Aumale, Nicolas Cahen.

Hunting hall

An art gallery containing such famous paintings as “Madonna with the Veil” by Raphael, the portrait of Gabrielle D’Estre, “Portrait of Simonetta Vespucci” by Piero di Cosimo.

Painting on the ceiling

Boudoir from 1737, decorated with paintings of monkeys and baboons, by Christophe Huet, which corresponded to the Chinese fashion of the time. Halls decorated with decorations of Chinese monkeys are often found in castles and mansions of the eighteenth century.

Painting on the walls

In this room there are such famous paintings as Self-Portrait and “The Birth of Venus” (Venus Anadyomene) by Ingres,

Clouet Hall. It contains portraits of the 16th century

The Merlaison ballet in 16 acts (Le ballet de la Merlaison, “The Ballet of the Blackbird Hunt”) was performed in March 1635 in Chantilly.

The famous library of the Duke of Condé has 13 thousand volumes. The collection includes 300 medieval manuscripts, the oldest of which dates back to the 11th century.
Directly subordinate to the French Institute, the library has a special status. The library's collection is unique; the owners of the castle have been collecting books since the 16th century; the bulk of the collection was purchased in the 19th century. The Book Cabinet contains about 700 manuscripts, some of which constitute a rare collection of first-print books. Many books are only in this library.
The Duke of Omal, being a passionate bibliophile, compiled the catalog himself. One of his best acquisitions is the manuscript of the Book of Hours of the Duke of Berry, illuminated by the Limburg brothers for the brother of King Charles V, surmounted by a calendar depicting the twelve months. The Psalter of Ingeburg and the Breviary of Joan of Evray are also the best examples of this exceptional collection. The display cases present manuscripts, printed books or bindings in order of priority.

Famous medieval miniatures by Jean Fouquet. Kneeling before the Virgin Mary in the miniature “Adoration of the Magi” (right miniature), King Charles VII modestly wished to see himself... Well, he didn’t forget his two sons - Louis, later King Louis XI, and Charles, Duke of Berry, they were depicted behind the pope.

The right thumbnail shows Vincennes castle, located on the outskirts of Paris.
I want to create a separate gallery about him.

Raphael. "Three Graces"

"Madonna of the House of Orleans", Raphael

Main staircase

Castle Chapel

There is a restaurant in the castle where you can try the famous Chantilly cream. The creation of the virtuoso chef Vatel. About whom they said: “Give him five loaves, two fish and a candle stub, and he will make of all this a meal worthy of kings and princes.”
By official version, a cook and part-time butler Vatel, who specialized in serving VIPs, committed suicide because he could not prepare dinner for a gala palace reception. Either they didn’t bring him food at all, or they didn’t deliver what he demanded (historical sources give conflicting information) and the scrupulous Frenchman, after praying, stabbed himself with a sword. The film "Vatel" with Depardieu in the title role was filmed in Chantilly.
We tried the cream, but didn’t experience the expected delight, just regular whipped cream with vanilla sugar.

Chantilly Castle, whose name in French sounds like Chateau de Chantilly, is located surrounded by forest approximately 49 km from Paris. With pointed towers and a deep moat, this medieval castle looks very picturesque, thereby attracting not only numerous foreign tourists, but also Parisians who don’t mind taking a walk outside the city on the weekend.

Getting to Chantilly from Paris is quite easy. We left at 9 o'clock in the morning from Paris Nord station on a high-speed train. Tickets were purchased immediately before departure at the station ticket office. I think that even for those who do not speak French, buying tickets will not be difficult: the cashier will turn the monitor towards you so that you select the departure time and tell the number of passengers. And be sure to validate your ticket at the exit to the platform. The journey took about 25 minutes.

IN high season runs from the station to Chantilly Castle free bus, but we decided to walk - only 30 minutes, but we got some fresh air.

Chantilly began its history in 1484, when the royal groom Anne Montmorency rebuilt the huge lands that he inherited with the remains of the fortress into a castle, making the basis of towers and a moat.

And here is the monument to Montmorency.

Then the castle came into possession Prince Condé, who created a huge park on the territory of the castle, using the best landscape specialist Le Notre, and built stables here, which are a landmark in themselves. There is also a hippodrome where competitions are currently held.

On the way to the castle we pass by a female sphinx and realistically rendered dogs.

You can reach the castle via a wide paved bridge.

In the castle itself, in my opinion, there is too much gilding, paintings and glitter. But this is to my taste, so I still advise you to go inside the building. By the way, we purchased tickets via the Internet while still in Moscow.

Despite the fact that the castle is huge, the living rooms in it were not so large. This may have been due to the not very good heating system.

The rooms in Chantilly Castle are almost all walk-through.

What I really liked was the rich library, which contains about 30 thousand books. I wouldn't refuse one myself!

What was surprising was that in large quantity the premises cannot be entered without a guide who puts his thumb on the red button to open the door. There is an art gallery in the main halls.

Honestly, art galleries I don't like visiting. To truly enjoy them, you need to understand history and at least understand the “secret signs” that the author leaves in his works. But I like to look at pictures reflecting everyday life. I like this picture, for example.

In the next room there was an exhibition of 19th century photography.

After visiting Chantilly castle decided to take a walk around big park on its territory. It starts with a classic French garden with fountains and sculptures. I don’t know why, but the fountains were turned off on the day of our visit. It's a pity.

Then the garden turns into a somewhat chaotic English park, after which it turns into an elegant Japanese one. It turns out that a fun children's playground was recently opened on the castle grounds.

After walking a little more, we went back to the station, but this time we boarded the same free bus, because after several hours spent in this wonderful place, we simply fell off our feet.

Getting to this magnificent place is not at all difficult: 25 minutes by train from Gare du Nord (North Station), to the Chantilly-Gouvieux stop. Finding your way around is also quite easy.

Entrance to the territory of Chantilly Castle: a bridge over the moat, a ticket office in a small house and a gate (the gate is not visible in the picture, but believe me - they are there!).

It would seem - March 4th! And the lawn is already neatly trimmed and green. Although what can I say - the climate is different.

I liked this cute "house"

You look at him and it seems that a nice lady in a powdered wig is about to peek out from behind the curtain:

And again - a bridge over the ditch. =) Beauty is beauty, but we preferred not to forget about safety measures.

YardCapitainerie: The building on the right is the Capitainerie ensemble, all that remains of the castle, which Anne de Montmorency commissioned the construction Jean Bulland next to the already existing castle. Now there is a restaurant here.

Capitenry or Kitchens de Bethel. Unfortunately. Only this photo is available.

Panorama

A small panorama taken from the monument to Anne de Montmorency

View of the bridge in front of the entrance to the Court of Honor:
1. Gate of the Court of Honor

2. View of the bridge from sides of the "house" and Capitenri:

Entrance to the Court of Honor. There are sculptures in the niches, at the top there is a cartouche with a coat of arms, and there is a lot of decor everywhere. And yet beauty is beauty, and the grilles are real.

To the right and left of the gate there are two small galleries

Court of Honor. Entrance to the Castle Reception:

View of the Chapel, it is located to the left of the entrance to the Reception Room.

I like this architecture. Thoughtful and harmonious solutions. Not boring and no frills.

Court of Honor, view from the Chapel:

Statue Constable Anne de Montmorency:

Figurines of hunting dogs, funny like this: