Écouen Travel Guide

 hquittner Says:  All of the Minor Arts are here in abundance:metalwork and arms, ceramics, stained glass, wood carving and furniture, jewelry and goldsmith work. The spacious rooms are ideal for 16C Tapestries. This was their heyday in Brussels and the best ones are in series: The Loves of... 

 hquittner Says:  In the chapel , the retable behind the altar is made of exquisite 16C enamel panels by Leonard Limousin. They and the carved wood altar are replacements for the original sculpture by Jean Goujon. 

 hquittner Says:  The chapel is located at the the end of the Southeast wing of the chateau. Among the many chapels in chateaux that we have visited, this one ranks high. Admittedly the one at Chantilly is more impressive in part because of the removal of key elements from this one (See it in... 

 hquittner Says:  The surrounds of the windows in many of the large rooms at Ecouen are decorated with painted grotesques. Grotesques are human, animal or fabulous creatures combined with garlands and ornamental devices or scrollwork. The term derives from the excavations (grotto?}of the... 

 hquittner Says:  The rooms at the chateau are quite large and the method of heating was by fireplaces usually each with its own chimney; remember those chimneys at Chambord, finished the year before this place was started. It is said that there are 10 on view , some brought from other... 

 hquittner Says:  Ecouen was built by Anne de Montmorency (of the Conde Family), the Grand Conestable, Francois I's head military commander, during 1535-55. He was tremendously rich and used the greatest architects and sculptors: Jean Goujon and Jean Bullant. During its construction special...