Fontaine-Chaâlis Travel Guide

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The small chapel of 1250 is a jewel! It is of course modelled after St.-Chapelle. It was redecorated in the 1550's by the commendatory abbot Ippolito d'Este who had more influence (and some money) than anyone in Europe. He was able to get Primaticcio and his team to come over from Fontainebleau and do the design and work. Over the inner face of the West wall is an Annunciation fresco more elaborate than most created before it.(Shown in a separate Tip). Moreover, we thought that what we saw on the vaults is finer mural work than Fontainebleau. The facade was improved by the crossed ogival window and doorway. There are fine gargoyles and carved figures. Of course Primaticcio had seen the Sistine chapel and so he covered the ceiling with Apostles, Evangelists and Fathers of the Church (obtain a diagram-scorecard) and capped it off at the east end with Angels carrying the Instruments of the Passion.It is certain that he only did the sketches and iconography. His assistants did the "work". The walls are covered by a trompe-l'oeil curtain hung with the coats of arms of the Abbots of the Abbey of Chaalis. This appears to have been added by Madam Vatry the first 19C owner and builder of the chateau

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All of the finest paintings are in one room called the (picture) Gallery. They are mixed in with rare furniture, statuary and a large mantel topped by a life-size carved stag. The only real lighting is from outside. This is not an "Art Gallery" but a room to meditate in, and you can get clos to some of the works. There are clarifying placards with some of the works like in a real museum but there without a guide you would not know where or what to look at next. (Since we were there they may have produced some literature for sale, even an English version). You are no longer permitted to take photographs, their website is almost devoid of illustrations and I lost any notes I may have made, so the identification of some painting may be wrong or to start with as doubtful (marked ?). There is no missing Giotto or Signorelli. We are at a total loss at identifying the fine statuary (that are not in the Bust Gallery) and have made them into a Travelog if you want to take a look (not done yet).

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The tour was guided when we were there long ago, but their website infers that you can walk freely at certain times. That is important if you wish to study works of art in an unhurried manner, and there are many here. Someday they may make audio-guides. They would be ideal in this place which has many rooms and different experiences. Over the decades they have installed other collections besides that of the original donor. Unless they are your thing, give them a quick passing glance. The 18C tapestry in the first picture is from a cartoon of Boucher about Venus Getting Arms from Vulcan. The bust on the table is by Coysevox of Louis XIV and is in stone. There is a long hall (a gallery) filled with portrait busts. Since Mrs. Andre was a professional portrait painter when she married, to collect these is not surprising. Another smallish room is called the Art Gallery and is crammed with object and the best paintings, statues and more- a room for meditation if you lived there. There are bedrooms , library dining room with several paintings and a fine rug ,etc. Many chateau owners were great hunters, so she must have picked up the deer-antler umbrella stand at one of their garage sales. We could not identify the sculpture and include a Travelog of those that are not in the bust gallery or out back. We have also made a Travelog of other pictorial sights and one of the individual rooms in the Tour.

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The Chateau and Abbey are entered at the Gate House which is both ticket office and boutique. Next to the boutique, (created since we were there) is the Atelier des Parfums (an extra 2 euro charge, including a sample) established with scents centering around the rose garden. Across the way is a cafeteria. One procedes down a lane with a view of the long chateau on the left and the ruins of the Abbey on the right and center. At times the tours of the museum are guided. Behind the chateau are the beautiful decorated grounds and beyond the chapel is the cemetery which is now a rose garden.

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Behind the chateau are the carefully attended simple grounds. In them are ponds and statuary (female sphinxes and others) in the Versaiiles style. Madame Andre purchased them from other chateaux whose owners needed the cash. The grounds run out to the little Launette river which encircles them. Beyond the chapel, the ancient cemetery has a crenelated wall (of 1550) and a large gate bearing the coat of arms of Ippolito d'Este. He was commendatory abbot at the time and ordered these changes and others in the chapel. (He is also famous for building the fountain gardens at Tivoli). The last owners turned the cemetery into gardens and ultimately a Rosarie, whose roses are a showpiece in season (special viewings in mid-June). In May when we were there, the bushes had not yet been set out.

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L'Abbaye Royale was founded in 1136 by Louis VI. It became Cistercian immediately and prospered. Centuries later it went into a gradual decline and was terminated by the Revolution who sold it off to be used as a stone quarry. It had a good sized church (finished about 1219) which had 25 chapels! Its cemetery had a crenellated wall which still is intact. The estate was bought by Madame de Vatry who was a good friend of the Duc d'Aumale down the road at Chantilly. They hired a disciple of Viollet-le-Duc named Corroyer who built her a fine chateau on the grounds next to the ruins. After changes of hands, it was bought by Nelie Jacquemart-Andre whose husband had died. She continued restoring the ruins and decorating the chateau to hold the overflow of art holdings that she and her husband amassed much of which was in the mansion that is the Parisian Jacquemart-Andre Museum (See Our Paris Tip). She continued to acquire more important Art. When she died , as per their dual wills, the Institute of France received both estates and all of the Art to be shown as Museums for the public.