It is a jewel of French heritage that I would like to highlight today. Located 1 hour from Paris, the Château de Chantilly is a veritable museum of Art and History. Its architectural beauty and the richness of its furniture make this Château a place to discover without delay. Witness to many historical events, including the suicide of the famous Vatel, this former princely residence has a history that would make even the greatest of them pale. Great figures from history, rich and powerful, have made it a place of splendor and elegance. I'll take you with me to the heart of the Château de Chantilly.
The History of Château de Chantilly:an estate in perpetual evolution
Built, destroyed, shaped and then remodeled by its various owners from medieval times to the 19th century, the Château de Chantilly is closely linked to French history. No less than 5 "versions" of the Castle are currently counted.
The origins of Château de Chantilly are relatively vague. They date back to Gallo-Roman times. A certain Cantilius (now you understand the name "Chantilly") would have built a fortified house on a rock surrounded by swamps.
The Medieval Age
The first real written tracks date back to the Middle Ages. At the time, Chantilly was a fortified building, used to control the road from Paris to Senlis. The first lords, the Bouteiller family, owned the place for more than 300 years. It will finally be acquired in the 14th century by Pierre d'Orgemont, Chancellor of France, for the modest sum of 8,000 pounds. From then on, the Château will never be sold again, but inherited. The fortified building will give way to a real fortress. The 2 th version of the Château de Chantilly makes its appearance.
The Renaissance
Companion in arms and minister of François I, the famous character Anne de Montmorency inherited the Château de Chantilly. Born in these places, he has at heart to transform this fortress into a sumptuous pleasure residence. Throughout France, medieval fortresses give way to Renaissance-style castles. Defense gives way to pleasure! Knowing Italy well, the Duke wanted for his residence a copy of the Italian palaces, the Renaissance in its purest form. A large construction site was then set up, under the orders of the architect Jean Bullant. The gardens will be enlarged and seeds from Anne's travels will be planted. The surrounding wall will be destroyed, thus allowing a direct passage from the castle to the gardens. To impress his guests, the Duke will have a heronry, a tennis court and steam rooms built. He will have a terrace built, which currently houses his statue. 7 chapels reminiscent of the churches of Rome will rise. And finally he will build the very first library in the Castle! Art and culture enter the Château de Chantilly, and will never come out again. The 3 th Castle version was born!
The Classical Era
Henri II de Montmorency, current owner of the Château de Chantilly, will be sentenced to beheading by Louis XIII. The Château was then confiscated in 1632, then finally returned 11 years later to Charlotte de Montmorency, wife of the Prince of Condé Henri II de Bourbon. The Grand Condé, their sons, will also make the Château de Chantilly a place of splendor and power. The biggest names of the time would flock to the Domaine. We can cite La Fontaine, Molière, Racine... Major changes will be made, and the gardens transformed "à la française" by Le Nôtre.
18th and 19th century
It was at the beginning of the 18th century that the Classic style made its appearance in Chantilly. The Duke of Bourbon will have a new building built on the base of the old fortified castle, as well as the Great Stables that we can see today.
At the time of the Revolution, the part known as the Grand Château will be demolished by the Bande Noire, demolishers. The objective is to sell the stones of the razed buildings.
In 1830, the Duke of Bourbon, who had lost his son 16 years earlier, no longer had an heir. He will choose his great-nephew, the Duke of Aumale, son of King Louis-Philippe, to succeed him. He will be keen to restore Chantilly to its pre-Revolution sumptuousness. He will therefore have the Grand Château rebuilt. As a great art collector, he will house his numerous paintings, manuscripts and works of art of all kinds there. Having in turn no longer an heir, the Duke of Aumale donated the Château de Chantilly to the Institut de France in 1886.
The Condé Museum
As I said earlier, this place is a real museum. Art lovers will find their paradise on earth at the Château de Chantilly! The Duke of Aumale, considered to be the greatest collector of his time, built up a fabulous collection of paintings, books and works of art at the Domaine. Its objective:to enrich the Château de Chantilly, and to make it a place of reference. We can say that its objective is clearly achieved.
Having lost his two sons, the Duke of Aumale had no descendants. He made the decision to bequeath the Château de Chantilly and all its collections to the Institut de France, of which he was a member. Two conditions, however, had to be met:the Estate had to open its doors to the public, and the collections were never to be altered or loaned. Will respected! The Château opened its doors to the public in 1898 under the name "Musée Condé", in homage to the illustrious owners before him.
During your visit, don't miss the many galleries of paintings designed by the Duke to be the setting for his many paintings. The Condé Museum is today the second largest collection of old paintings, after the book. It has no less than 800 works, of different styles and periods.
After the discovery of all these paintings, each more sublime than the other, a short passage through the Library of the Château de Chantilly. This piece is definitely my favorite. The decoration, its size, the collection of old books:everything is there to impress the visitors who pass through its doors. Within it are real treasures such as the work "The very rich hours of the Duke of Berry" from the 14th century, or the 356 portraits commissioned by Catherine de Medici from Jean and François Clouet.
Anecdote and legend of the Château de Chantilly
A ghost in Chantilly:the ring of Louise de Budos
It's a story of love, ghost and magic that I'm going to tell you...
At the end of the 16th century, Henri I de Montmorency, constable of France, was in Pézenas with Louise de Budos and her mother. Louise de Budos met a woman who asked her for alms. To thank her, she will give him a ring with apparently magical power. Shortly after, Henri, recently widowed by his first wife, married Louise. She was 20, he was 60. Henri was very much in love with his second wife. Fate will however be tragic, and Louise will die 3 years later.
3 months after the death of his second wife, Henri I de Montmorency will celebrate his marriage to Laurence de Clermont-Montoison who is none other than the aunt of Louise de Budos, and the one who would have recovered the famous ring. Could this ring have the power to fall in love with the one you wish to conquer? Anyway, his power will weaken, and Henri will abandon his third wife.
Legend has it that the ghost of Louise de Budos appears as soon as the lord of the Château de Chantilly dies.
The suicide of François Vatel
Hired by the Grand Condé as head waiter, François Vatel arrived in Chantilly in 1667. In 1671, he was responsible for organizing the sumptuous party held by the Prince of Condé to celebrate the end of the restoration work on his residence. . However, the "housewarming party" is only a good excuse for the Prince of Condé to impress the King of France, and thus try to reconnect with him. We can therefore imagine the pressure that weighs on the shoulders of our famous butler.
The festivities will last for 3 days and 3 nights. A series of more sumptuous banquets await the King of France and his court of more than 3,000 people. Vatel only has 15 days to prepare the menus and staging, fatigue will quickly be felt.
A massive blow from the first evening for this dear François:75 additional guests invite themselves to dinner. The slices of roast provided are not enough, Vatel immediately imagines that a plot is being hatched against him. The guests, on the other hand, see nothing but fire and are delighted with this first dinner.
The second evening is a Friday, a day of Lent. Fish is therefore in the spotlight, and Vatel wishes to impress by offering sea fish (and not river). The order for the long-awaited dish must arrive overnight from Thursday to Friday from Haute-Normandie, Boulogne-sur-Mer and the Baie de Somme. A first delivery arrives at 4am. The others are waiting. At 10 a.m., Vatel still does not see the rest of the fish arriving. It's too much for him, the insult is too strong. He decides to go up to his room, and throw himself three times on his sword in order to kill himself. He will die… when the rest of the delivery will pass the doors of the Château de Chantilly. Holding his butler in great esteem, the Prince of Condé broke down in tears when he heard the news. However, the festivities will not be cancelled. Louis XIV and his court feasted on fish straight from the sea.
How to visit the Domaine de Chantilly?
If you want to visit the whole Domaine de Chantilly, you will need a good day. The continuous improvements of the various owners make it a huge and above all very varied place.
The Apartments
In addition to the part of the Condé Museum, you can discover the apartments. In the Grands Appartements, you can observe the magnificent decorations installed by the Princes in the 18th century, as well as the refined furniture installed by the Duke of Aumale. The Small Apartments, properties of the Duke of Aumale, reveal a 19th century decoration. These rooms, restored in 2019, testify to the way of life of the time.
The Park
After the visit of the interior, place to discover the Park of 115 hectares. Just like the Château, the Park reveals the successive creations of its owners. You will find in particular a 17th century French garden designed by Le Nôtre, an Anglo-Chinese garden from the end of the 18th century, as well as a 19th century English garden. A rare example of a French-style garden off center from the Palace, this park was one of André Le Nôtre's favourites. He wrote in 1698 to the Count of Portland:"Remember all the beautiful gardens in France, Versailles, Fontainebleau, Vaux-le-Vicomte, the Tuileries and especially Chantilly".
The Anglo-Chinese garden, designed by Jean-François Leroy in 1773, houses a hamlet made up of 5 small houses. Rustic on the outside, luxury on the inside. We therefore understand why Marie-Antoinette was inspired for her Hameau de la Reine. I invite you not to miss this part during your visit, as it reveals a whole other facet of the Château which is very interesting to see.
The Great Stables
Did you know that the commune of Chantilly was the capital of the Horse? So you will not be surprised to know that his Castle has Large Stables. You will be able to find in particular the Museum of the Horse, as well as equestrian animations. A good opportunity to discover the Domaine de Chantilly differently.
Location and Access
His situation
Located in the Hauts-de-France region, the Château de Chantilly is 42km from Paris in the commune of Chantilly. This historic site in the Oise is easily accessible given its proximity to the city. You can therefore easily get there by car or public transport.
How do I access it?
– By car:From Paris, A3 and/or A1 motorways exit “Chantilly” or D316 and D317. Ample parking is available but it is chargeable. Price:€5 for 9-seater cars and mini-buses.
– By train:Gare du Nord, take the main line trains to “Chantilly-Gouvieux” station or the RER D to the “Chantilly-Gouvieux” stop. The Château de Chantilly is a 20-minute walk away.
Rates and Schedules
Rates
– Estate tickets:€17 / adult – €13.50 / child aged 7 to 17 / FREE for children under 7
– Park ticket:8€ / adult – 6€ / child from 7 to 17 years old / FREE for children under 7 years old
– Annual ticket:€50 / adult – €40 / child – FREE for children under 7
Good Plan History Notebook:during my visit, many people were waiting to buy their ticket on site. I therefore strongly advise you to go directly through their website to get your tickets.
Schedules
– Low season:from the end of October to the end of March, every day except Tuesday – from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (6 p.m. for the park)
– High season:from the end of March to the end of October, every day except Tuesday – from 1 a.m. to 6 p.m. (8 p.m. for the park)
The Château de Chantilly in Hauts-de-France no longer holds any secrets for you. Its extraordinary history, and the famous owners who have shaped it over the centuries make this place a magical place to visit without delay.
Resources
– 100 castles less than an hour from Paris – Francis Lecompte and Jacques Guillard
– Site of the Domain of Chantilly
– Site of the Chantilly Tourist Office site
– pop.culture.gouv