These days we aren't doing much traveling here in France. Covid19 basically put a hold on our adventures so I'm left looking back at some of the memories we created so far. One such memory is of a place just a short drive away from where we live, to the town of Chantilly. Not only is it a beautiful town but it also has an amazing castle that doubles as a museum, which will be the focus of this post.
The Castle
The castle was originally built in 1528-31 and then was rebuilt in the 1870s after it was destroyed during the French revolution.
With its intricate and grandios architecture, massive property and surrounding moat, the Chateau itself is a spectacular sight to behold.
The grounds have a lot to offer. Ponds, fountains and statues are scattered throughout so its worth spending some time walking the property before heading inside.
For this post I don't want to linger too long on the castles exterior though. There is just so much to see inside.
So lets head across the stone bridge and through the elaborate gateway to see the art and the galleries of the chateau's interior.
The Gallery
Before it was bequeathed to the French government and before it became a national monument of the country, the castle was owned by a man named Henri d'Orleans. He was the son of Lousi Phillipe, the last King of France.
Prince Henri was said to be a man of exceptional destiny and to have a renowned sense of taste. He is also considered to be one of the greatest collectors of his time. He was the one who turned the castle into the museum that it is today.
The castle is currently home to thousands of pieces of art - paintings, sculptures and manyscripts. These can be viewed throughout the interior.
I personally really liked the portrait paintings. I especially liked seeing the fashion of the time. Puffy shirts and frilly hats seemed to be the style.
This kissy painting made me laugh as well. The man seems to be quite persistent in his pursuit of the woman and she is having none of it.
Other paintings I just liked for their beauty.
There were several rooms lined floor to ceiling with them, a wide variety dating back through the ages.
The Library
By todays standards the castle's library would be quite small. But back then books were a very rare commodity, often only owned by rich nobles. With its many books and original manuscripts the library of Chateau de Chantilly would have been considered to be quite large and and certainly an impressive rarity.
Stained Glass
A hallway connecting two adjacent parts of the castle had a long embankment of stained glass windows. Each panel appeared to tell a story.
Though I don't actually know what story was being told, it was neat viewing the images and trying to piece together what was happening.
Ceiling Frescoes
In some areas the ceilings were just as elaborately decorated as the walls. There were two frescos that I found particularly stunning. This one of the angel holding the French flag was my favorite. It was located above the main staircase heading down to the basement gift shop.
And this one was in a small room located off one of the main gallery halls.
Closing Remarks
The Chateau de Chantilly is about an hour away from Paris, a short day trip for anyone wanting to branch out of the big city. Stunning architecture and a massive collection of artwork make it worth the trip in my opinion. Looking back on my experience there I'd say that it was one of my favorite castles that I've been to in France.