Chantilly Castle, Condé Museum. Chantilly Castle - the second in France after Versailles Chantilly Castle how to get from Paris

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A beautiful castle, which houses the richest collection of paintings and ancient folios, a huge park and horse shows - all this in the ancient estate of Chantilly (Château de Chantilly) just 40 kilometers from the French capital.

If, while in Paris, you want to spend a day out of town and see some beautiful palace with a luxurious park, you don’t have to travel hundreds of kilometers to the Loire or join the crowds of tourists storming Versailles. Just 20-25 minutes by train (or 40 minutes by RER) from the North Station, and you will find yourself in the tiny town of Chantilly, where a free bus will be waiting for you at the station - it will take you to the castle gates in just a few minutes.

The history of the Chantilly Palace (Château de Chantilly) is not easy. A long time ago, castles were repeatedly erected on this place, and then castles disappeared. In the 16th century, these lands were owned by the Montmorency family, one of them decided to build a luxurious residence for himself.

A century later, another owner of the estate was executed for participating in the rebellion, and the estate ended up in the hands of his relative, the Prince of Condé.

A significant part of the ancient castle was destroyed during the revolution. In the middle of the 19th century, after the death of the last Prince of Conde, the estate was inherited by his godson, the Duke of Omalsky. The new owner hired an architect and ordered him the most complicated project - to attach a new wing and a chapel to the surviving part, without destroying the overall ensemble.

First of all, let's take a walk through the suite of rooms in the Small Palace. Here, in the old part of the castle, there is a library consisting of 13 thousand volumes, including 750 ancient manuscripts and 700 early printed books.

Among the general splendor, sometimes you can not notice the real treasures, such as this authentic one from a villa in Pompeii.

All rooms are decorated with elegant paintings, but the paintings on the walls of the "monkey room" are especially beautiful (it is so named because a funny monkey is sure to wink from almost every picture).

Let's take a look at the chapel of the palace. It was built relatively recently - in 1882, but exactly on the spot where before the revolution there was an old chapel.

In its back part, behind the altar, there is an urn in which the hearts of Princes Condé and Henry II are kept (the bodies of the deceased are buried in a church in Burgundy). During the troubled revolutionary times, many graves were desecrated, and in order to save the memory of the princes, it was decided to hide their hearts in a church in Chantilly, and then, a century later, they were transferred to a new chapel.

Next, we will proceed to the New part of the castle, turned into an art gallery. Its walls are decorated with the greatest masterpieces of Botticelli, Raphael, Poussin, Ingres, Delacroix and other masters, hanging, however, somewhat chaotically. According to the will of the collector and last owner - the Duke of Omalsky - the paintings cannot be interchanged, besides, they must not leave the castle even for a while, so you will never see these works of art in temporary exhibitions somewhere outside the palace. This is the richest (after the Louvre) collection in France, consisting of eight dozen paintings!

At the walls of the castle begins a classic ordered French garden with fountains and sculptures.

A little further away, it fades into chaotic English and elegant Japanese.

The owners of the castle were haunted by the glory of the beautiful gardens of Marie Antoinette, and in 1775 the Prince of Condé gave his architect the task of building a small pseudo-village "like in Versailles." Of course, no one thought of settling peasants in Chantilly: the pastoral idyll was intended only for the guests of the prince. The interiors of the "modest houses" were decorated with flowers and silks, where one could retire and relax.

A lot of entertainment awaited distinguished guests in the park. You can still walk through the maze today. It was built a few years ago and is slightly different from the previous one, but be careful: as before, it is easy to get lost in it!

If you have a vehicle at your disposal during your trip to Paris, Paris Chance recommends setting aside one day for a trip to the town of Chantilly, which is only 49 km from Paris. Bright and unforgettable impressions for a lifetime are guaranteed!

The name of the city of Chantilly is associated, first of all, with “chantilly” cream (another Russian spelling of Chantilly) - whipped cream flavored with vanilla.

Chantilly Castle, although not as well known to Russian travelers as Versailles or the Loire castles, is in no way inferior to them in beauty. Not coincidentally, during his visit to France in 1968, President Nixon exclaimed: "Why was I taken to Versailles seven times and never here?" This is one of the largest aristocratic residences in France, which was built at the beginning of the 16th century by the constable (as the head of the French army was called at that time) Montmorency, and then owned by the princes of Condé.

The luxurious castle is located on an island, surrounded on all sides by a moat in the middle of a delightful park, laid out by Le Nôtre himself. And the road to the castle runs through the huge and shady forest of Chantilly.

In the decoration of the facades of the castle, carved Gothic architecture and the splendor of the Baroque style intertwined in an amazing way. And in its delightful interiors you can admire the paintings of Raphael, Van Dyck, Poussin, Ingres, Delacroix - the Condé Museum in Chantilly Castle is the second most important museum of painting in France after the Louvre.

Practical information about Chantilly:

Chantilly can be reached:

by train from Gare du Nord
Departure: about every half hour
Travel time: 25 min
One way ticket price: 8-10 euros

By car: national road N16 or autobahn A1, Survilliers exit, then N17, direction La Chapelle-en-Serval and departmental road D924A

Chantilly Castle is open to the public:

from March 15 to October 15 from 10.00 to 18:00
from October 16 to March 14 from 10:30 to 17:00
Lunch break: from 12:30 to 14:00, day off: Tuesday.
Tariff for visits to the castle, park and museum: 13 euro
Tariff for visiting the castle and horse museum: 20 euro

What else is the city of Chantilly famous for?

Living Horse Museum

This is a center for training circus horses, which regularly puts on very spectacular theatrical performances. It is located in the architectural complex of the ancient Great Stables of Chantilly near the castle.

In the center of the city is the one-of-a-kind Lace Museum.

The French city of Chantilly is also the center of the world-famous Chantilly lace, which is rightfully considered one of the most refined and elegant in the fashion world. In the XVI century. Braided lace of (traditionally) black tulle, with delicate ornamentation and very small meshes against a background of fine silk, began to be produced in Chantilly in the 16th century. Subsequently, they received the name chantilly after the oldest center of their production.

The Chantilly Lace Museum has 3 halls, the first of which has a permanent exhibition, and the other 2 are temporary.

Address of the Lace Museum in Chantilly:
34 Rue d "Aumale 60500 Chantilly
The museum is open to the public:
Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10:00 to 11:30 and from 15:00 to 17:30

Where to stay in Chantilly?

If you want to spend more than one day visiting the castle and its museum, Paris Chance recommends you to stay in a charming 3-star charming hotel Hostellerie du Lys (Lily), located in the middle of the forest of Chantilly, just 5 km from the castle and 20 km from Charles de Gaulle airport and 45 minutes drive from Paris. The cozy hotel rooms are equipped with everything you need, free parking and W-Fi Internet access. On cold winter evenings, you can enjoy an aperitif in the bar by the fireplace, and on hot summers, take a refreshing dip in the outdoor swimming pool.

Affordable prices - Hotel room rates: 110 - 130 euros per night, Half board for 2 persons - from 199 euros,

Address of the three-star Hostellerie du Lys
63, 7e Avenue 60260 Lamorlaye
Tel.: (+33) 3 44 21 26 19

Where to eat in Chantilly?

During the day you can easily find in Chantilly where to eat. There is a good restaurant in the hotel Lys recommended by us. But in the evening, for a romantic dinner Paris Chance recommends you the amazing gastronomic restaurant Verbois. Nestled in a park in the middle of the Chantilly woodland, the old mansion that houses the restaurant was once a favorite spot for dog hunting and belonged to the Rothschild family. Its bourgeois style is pleasantly “diluted” with a veranda attached to it, where we advise you to ask for a table when ordering, and which will impress you with its decor: a huge black plexiglass chandelier, candles and metal animals on the tables.

In the best French gastronomic traditions, the ladies will be brought a menu without prices, but we will tell you a secret: if you order a set dinner (starter, main course and dessert with a choice of 4-5 items), it will cost you only 38 euros, not including drinks. For an aperitif - champagne or a specialty cocktail - which in good weather can be drunk under a canopy in the garden, you will be served freshly baked hot tartlets. And while you wait for an invitation to enter the hall, small glasses will be brought to you for starters, for example, with avocado mousse, crushed crab meat and cream whipped with lemon juice.

The cuisine of the restaurant is creative, and you can try a mini pizza with scallops and slices of salmon with a garnish of leek dressed with vanilla emulsion, guinea fowl with morel sauce or cod fillet with green peas puree with walnut sauce, and for dessert - chocolate apricot melting cake. The restaurant is famous for its extensive wine list and is a big hit, so it's best to book a table in advance.

Address of the restaurant Le Verbois
Route Nationale 16
Chantilly Creil
60740 Saint-Maximin
Tel.:(+33) 3 44 24 06 22

Contacts

The address: Château de Chantilly, 60500 Chantilly, France

Telephone: +33 3 44 27 31 80

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

Official site: www.domainedechantilly.com

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

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

History of Chantilly Castle

The castle has a rich history, which you can learn about during a tour of Chantilly or continue reading the information below.
So history Chateau de Chantilly begins since the time 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 was built on this site. Until the 14th century, it was a building where battles took place and the local population could hide. But in 1358 the fortress was plundered, and it ceased to fulfill its original purpose.

Later, in the middle of the 16th century, Anne de Montmorency inherited the area. He actively took up the arrangement of the territory and in 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 strongly influenced by Renaissance art. By the way, this palace can be seen today.

A little later, the French commander invited Jean Bullan to build the Grand Castle. The castle, although it turned out to be beautiful in appearance, but with an unhappy history: it was constantly passed from hand to hand, and during the French Revolution it was plundered and a prison was organized 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 passes into the possession of the Duke of Condé. Being a rich man, he decided to completely remake the fortress into a luxurious castle, which he has good

Oh it worked. He used the help of the then very famous architect Le Nôtre, who created a chic park. Despite the centuries, it is still a work of art. After the death of the Duke of Conde, the castle continues to be upset, and the surrounding area is 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'Angien was rebuilt, which in appearance resembles the Grand Palace, and many paintings and sculptures were restored to their original appearance.

It is worth noting that the owners of the castle knew a lot about the "beautiful". They knew how to appreciate beautiful paintings and sculptures. Famous creators often visited them, including Racine, La Fontaine. If we have already talked about paintings, then it would not be superfluous to recall the Duke of Omal, who, while owning the castle, collected a significant collection of masterpieces of painting and laid the foundation for Museum Condé.

What to see in Chantilly Castle

Chantilly Castle looks very original: it is surrounded on all sides by a moat with water, and you can get into the room only through one bridge. Before entering the castle, tourists are greeted by a sphinx woman and sculptures of dogs, made very realistically. Further, going into the castle, it can be noted that it is intertwined two styles: gothic and baroque. Massive walls, sharp spiers speak of the Gothic style, and niches, oval windows, balustrades, lattices and other similar elements speak of the Baroque style.

Impressive interior design: marble, gilding. Luxurious chandeliers, stained-glass windows, copies of famous Renaissance sculptures, luxurious dishes are installed in the niches, all the walls are hung with paintings.

Museums in Chantilly
Here is located Condé Museum, which is the second after the place of storage of exhibits of French classical art. Also in the castle is 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.

The city of Chantilly is home to the world famous Lace Museum. Here, both fashion novelties and vintage lace items are presented for everyone to see. The museum has 3 halls, one of which houses a permanent exhibition, and the other - temporary. For those who want to visit here, it is worth noting that the museum is open only 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 only live horses act as museum exhibits, which suit whole performances. Twice a year horse races for the prize of Diana and the Jockey Club are organized here.

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. Getting around is pretty easy too.

Entrance to the territory of the 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 4! And already the lawn is evenly trimmed green. Although what to say - the climate is different.





I love this cute house


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



And again - the bridge over the moat. =) Beauty is beauty, but they preferred not to forget about security measures.




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


Kapitenri or Kitchen de Vetel. Unfortunately. This is the only picture 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 Kapitenri:


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

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



Honorary Court. 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:



The statue Constable Anne de Montmorency:


Figurines of hunting dogs, funny are:

vita_colorata wrote on March 26th, 2014

The town of Chantilly, like many cities in France, has a history of existence dating back to Roman times. The name of the castle comes from the ancient Roman Cantilius, that was the name of the man who built a villa here during the conquest of Gaul by the Romans. At the end of the 10th century, the lords of Senlis built a castle here, later destroyed during the Jacquerie peasant uprising.
When you approach the castle, you understand that the nature of these places could not but attract and a beautiful place on the water was chosen for the castle, which was an additional obstacle to the enemy in those turbulent times. The moat finally turned the castle into a separate island.

The history of the current castle begins with the constable Anne de Montmorency. The Montmorency family has owned these places since 1484.
He received the name Anne in honor of his godmother, Queen Anne of Brittany. The name Anna in the 16th century was both male and female, but the constable began to be called in the male manner of Anna.

The "head groom" of the king made a good career, he became the head of the royal army. After the Italian campaign of 1528, the constable decides to build a new palace instead of the old castle. During the campaigns in Italy, the conquerors were imbued with the new art of the Renaissance, King Francis invited Italian artists to France, Anne de Montmorency commissioned the architect Pierre Chambige to build a new castle, and later the Montmorency connoisseur of art invites the best masters of his time: Jean Bullan, the architect, Bernard Palissy , famous for his creative ceramics, painter Francois Clouet, sculptor, architect, graphic artist Jean Goujon, artist Leonard Limousin. The constable was out of favor with the king for 7 years, and he devoted these years to his castle. Jean Bulland built a second castle nearby, which was called the Small or Capitanerie. During these years, Chantilly enriched himself with many objects of art, furniture, carpets, sculpture and painting.
In front of the castle, in 1894, an equestrian statue of the constable was placed, who looks at his offspring, which has grown and changed over the following centuries.

Anne de Montmorency was again called to the court of Henry II and won the battle of Saint-Denis on November 10, 1567 between Catholics and Huguenots at the age of 74, respectable for those years, but was mortally wounded.
Further, the castle passes into the hands of the princes of Conde, the younger branch of the Bourbons. Here you can stop, sitting on the fence and admiring the castle, and remember the beauty Charlotte de Montmorency, whose story is worthy of the pen of Dumas.

Charlotte was the granddaughter of the constable, the daughter of his youngest son, you can even catch the resemblance to her grandfather from the portraits. Young, 15-year-old Charlotte became the maid of honor of Queen Marie de Medici and King Henry IV turned her favorable attention to her. Henri the Fourth (the king was cheerful, loved wine to hell ...) fell in love so much that he broke off her engagement with the handsome Bassonier and married him to Prince Condé, in the hope that her husband would not oppose the meetings of the king with Charlotte. But it wasn’t there, Heinrich Conde took his wife to hell, all the way to Brussels, under the protection of the Spanish Archduke-viceroy Albrecht. They tried to steal Charlotte, there was almost a war with the Spaniards, but Heinrich was killed in his own carriage on Feroneri Street, near house 11, the place is marked on the sidewalk, if anyone walks there, they can pay attention.
Conde ended his days in prison anyway, the castle was temporarily requisitioned from the family by King Louis 13th, but Charlotte was the godmother of King Louis 14th and Anna of Austria returned the Chantilly estates. The gift was made the very next day after the news of the military victory at Rocroi over the Spaniards of Charlotte's son Louis II of Bourbon, who went down in history under the name of the Great Condé, despite his small stature of 1.57 centimeters. Conde was then 22 years old and he was married to Richelieu's niece, young, but already a commander, great-grandfather's genes came in handy.

So, since 1643, Chantilly again belongs to the Conde family and the "Great Conde" begins to improve the surrounding area with the help of the great gardener Le Nôtre. Le Nôtre created a man-made lake and a large park at the castle, in which grandiose festivities were held with the participation of the king.
The Prince of Conde not only made the castle a place for his holidays, he became a trendsetter, organizing a literary salon, which quickly gained incredible popularity among the French nobility.
The work, as usual, dragged on for decades, and only the son of the Prince of Conde was able to complete the construction, using the knowledge and experience of the great architect of that era, Jules Hardouin Mansart.
The grandson, the Duke of Bourbon, had only to decorate the inner chambers.
Holidays at the "Great Conde" went down in history.

It has long been a tradition that the king, while hunting or traveling around the country, can stay with any of his vassals. In the castles, chambers were specially made in case of the arrival of the king. These trips did not always end well, the king's visit to Wol-Viscount made Louis think that his quartermaster Fouquet was living too chic. And less than a month later, he ended up in the Bastille, and his court gardener and cook found a new owner. Le Nôtre created the park for Condé and created the Versailles park for the king.
Vatel went down in history as a famous organizer of the festivities. The tragic events of the holiday on April 23, 1671 are described in a letter to Madame de Sevigne. Vatel committed suicide with a blow of a sword, seeing that he did not have enough food to feed the nobles who had come. According to rumors, the fish were not brought up in the proper quantity, and at the whim of the screenwriter of fate, these two missing carts with fish drove into the yard just at the moment when Vatel pierced himself.
Francois Vatel (actually Carl Fritz Vatel) was born in Switzerland in 1631, from the age of 8 he studied with the Parisian confectioner Jean Evelard, and at 22 he was already a chef with Nicolas Fouquet. In 1663 he moved to the castle of Chantilly and became a manager there.
In early April, His Majesty announced that he would honor the Prince with a three-day visit to his Chantilly estate in recognition of his military service. For Conde, this was a chance to rehabilitate himself before Louis XIV, he was in disgrace for 8 years. François Vatel has only 15 days to prepare the menu and organize the whole party. Vatel began to develop the last script for the festival.
Preparations have begun for the reception of the Sun King. Within 15 days, work was underway to prepare the castle, as well as redevelopment of rooms for the reception of the King and his retinue. Construction work went on around the clock. Conde hoped to achieve the final forgiveness of the king, so the planned grandiose celebration for the glory of Louis XIV had to be inimitable and delight the king and all his guests.
The whole story can be seen in the film "Vatel", filmed in the Chantilly castle, and at the same time see the interiors of the castle.
The celebration was attended by over 6,000 guests, in fact, the entire nobility of France. How they managed to accommodate so many guests in the castle is even incomprehensible. Usually, after such festivities, the castles were closed for "drying" and cleaning the territory, since there were no toilets and 6 thousand people could do mischief in the park and right in the castle in three days, then it was in the order of things, so that the guard of servants then brought for a long time the apartments of the hospitable host were in order.
Vatel was supposed to provide all this horde with four meals and additionally "colacions" - snacks with cold appetizers during balls. What is now called the word buffet. Moreover, tables served in nature were decorated so that they fit into the landscape.
Any modern chef would shoot himself from the scale of the task even before the holiday, and Vatel also organized fireworks and entertainment in parallel. Unfortunately, he did not leave behind cookbooks, like many cooks, but later they dedicated their dishes to him, calling his name either sauce or consommé, and Chantilly whipped cream is considered to be his invention.

The castle belonged to the princes of Condé for many years. In 1782, the next Prince of Condé received the Count and Countess of the North in Chantilly. Under such a pseudonym, the future Russian emperor Pavel the First and his wife traveled. And later he repaid the hospitality by hosting Chantilly's hosts for the time being, together with the regiment, for the duration of the revolution.
Chantilly at the end of the 18th century can be seen on the gouache of the artist Jean-Baptiste Lallemand, which is kept in the castle.

The picture shows the Great Castle as it existed before it was destroyed during the revolution. Such as it was erected by Montmorency in 1528-31.
After the last Prince of Conde in 1830, the Duke of Omal became the heir, who built the Grand Castle anew.
The New Castle (Château d'Angien) is a neo-Renaissance building from 1876-80, loosely reproducing the architectural forms of the Grand Castle. The New Castle was designed by Honoré Daumier; his style can be defined as bozar.

Now Chantilly Castle is an ensemble of buildings from different centuries. On the left is the old Kapitaneriya, which has survived in spite of everything.

The rest of the castle, inspired by Renaissance castles, is more decorative. It is decorated with an abundance of balustrades and sculptures. The composition is reminiscent of old hotels of the 16th and 17th centuries, when a wall with a gate closes the castle itself, which was not superfluous in those days. In the 18th century, it had already lost its defensive significance and became a decorative element of the castle's facade.

There is a bronze sculpture of dogs in front of the entrance.

Metal fences now also decorate more than protect from the enemy.

Although the castle is separated by water, a wide bridge provides entry for everyone.

To the left of the entrance is a copy of the statue of a slave by Michelangelo.

Let's go to the cozy courtyard of the castle.

Perhaps it is here that you can fully experience what French elegance is, it is no coincidence that President Nixon exclaimed during a visit to the castle in 1968: "Why was I taken to Versailles seven times and never here?"
We came just in time for the opening of the Condé Museum and we can go in and get acquainted with the beautiful collection of the castle and its interiors.
More on this later.