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Pro
Beautiful little place
Con
None
In a nutshell
A Functional Restoration
slnarnwl Says: This is the castle in the village of pierrfonds.Where they film the BBC TV progamme of merlin. it is not a ruin and you can see two floors of the castle lovely decorations and lovely empty rooms but it is really worth going to see.
hquittner Says: Although le-Duc was not a sculptor, he was fabulous at drawing and sketching. He drew figures to animate his creation, which had no such remains. He farmed these out to accomplished artists and placed them in his design. A charming bas-relief of the Annunciation graces the...
The Chateau: Approach the Castle
hquittner Says: The south side of the castle, like each of the other sides presents corner towers and a central tower (8 in all). Behind the central tower on this side is the massive keep with the royal residential quarters. Each tower has a name and a sculpted protagonist on its face. The...
The Chateau: Enter the Courtyard
hquittner Says: The irregular quadrangle follows the shape of thenclosing 4 sided fortress. On entering, the first thing that hits the eye is the equestrian statue of Louis d'Orleans (1868; Fremiet) standing before the monumental main staircase in the NE corner. To the left there is an...
The Chateau: Study the Chapel West Facade
hquittner Says: The outside of the Chapel is a further example of Viollet-le-Duc's theory of how to expand the Gothic style. Here he enlarges the voussoir arch and includes the lancet windows below it as a giant tympanum. He caps the Rose window with a broken arch that echoes the voussoir...
The Chateau: Admire the Chapel Interior
hquittner Says: The Chapel is an original invention by le-Duc. He placed it in the defensive wall as part of a central tower. It is very small and beautifully vaulted. There is a half-dome apse preceded by two bays of length. Extensive use is made of balconies and tribunes to fill the...
The Chateau: Go Through the Royal Bedroom
hquittner Says: The Emperor's bedroom is in the donjon (keep) and is another Viollet-le-Duc creation in the Gothic style. The walls at the lower level are covered by decorative wood panelling. Above this the walls are painted and covered with militant heraldic dragons. Their is a frieze...
The Chateau: Visit the Salle des Preuses
hquittner Says: The Salle des Preuses (Valiant Knights) is not what we previously called a restoration It is a room that Viollet-le-Duc included in the assemblage he was creating for Napoleon III who wanted to use Pierrefonds as a sometimes retreat. The Emperor needed a ballroom for 300...
Pierrefonds Castle - The Middle Age reinvented
Dariana Says: Don’t begin the visit without taking a walk in the park, an occasion to discover the castle in his splendor. Let the spirit of the past penetrate you and, so prepared you can cross the drawbridge. The architecture of the courtyard is inspired by the Renaissance: open...
Pierrefonds Castle - The Middle Age reinvented
Dariana Says: From the outside you have the impression of an imposing medieval castle. Situated on a hill dominating the little village of Pierrefonds you can feel The Power: inaccessible high crenellated walls, a vast quadrilateral fortress supplemented by eight towers. Each tower has a...
Pierrefonds Castle - The Middle Age reinvented
Dariana Says: A brief history...First a fortress built in 12th century by the descendants of Nivelon det Pierrefonds, then the fortified residence of Louis d’Orleans , the castle is seized in the name of the Holy League in 1589.In 1595 the castle is acquired by Antoine d’Estrées – father...
freya_heaven Says: The Salle Des Preux is a wonderful great hall, with some very ornate and cheerful decor. The statues above the double fireplace are of the Empress Eugenie and her ladies in waiting. Over 300 people can be seated in this room with great views over the internal courtyard from...
freya_heaven Says: This a model of Pierrefonds Chateau carved out of stone, by Wyganowski. The original castle dates back to the 10th century. Over many years of use by Royalty and passing in to other hands the Chateau finally fell in to ruin when the Chateau was taken and ruined in 1617.In...
obelix60 Says: In the small city of "saint jean aux bois",near Pierrefonds,an expensive restaurant with a bad service,standard food.It WAS the best,but now please avoid!
Journaux: Typical souvenir shop
neilward Says: Opposite the Chateaux,you`ll find this small but adequate shop,selling the usual bits and bobs. An ice cream and a beer,sit in the town square and just chill....
neilward Says: I bet this is a wonderful place to sit and relax and watch the world go by...We had an ice cream and just wandered round.
Eugene-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc (1814-79)
hquittner Says: Le-Duc was a brilliannt logical and scholarly man who learned his architecture from working with leading experts in medieval Architecture (Huve and Leclere) rather than enroll in the Ecole des Beaux Artes (just as the Impressionists would do a decade later). During his life...
Sculptural Translation: A Museum in the Castle
hquittner Says: Le Duc engaged numerous fine craftsmen and worked closely with them. He assisted Honore Monduit (1824-93) and his son Philippe (1875-1909) in reviving the art of lead-working by hammering on dies. These objects were used over the entire chateau from roof work to fininals...
Viollet-le-Duc: A Senior Site Seer's Hero
hquittner Says: After a lifetime of creative thinking and restoring Gothic buildings, the individualistic architect was permitted to give free play to his deepest held beliefs on restoration. He completed most of it and his son added a bit more, so Pierrefonds is what we have of the real...
neilward Says: Wherever we go,Billy and Sam always seem to find huge ice creams to pose alongside.Be a shame not to take a photo. Peace and quiet,mind you we did stumble ,or rather he stumbled across us... A drunk down and out asking for some spare cash.
Plan a Pierrefonds vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Pierrefonds locals
Opposite the Chateaux,you`ll find this small but adequate shop,selling the usual bits and bobs. An ice cream and a beer,sit in the town square and just...
Q: I'm doing a school project on Pierrefonds, and I was wondering if anyone had any information that would be helpful to me. If...
A: Hi. You can find quite a bit of info by yourself. There is a search window above and you can type in Pierrefonds and do a search. You should get photos and lots of...
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Pierrefonds is a wonderful restored fairytale castle in the Picardie region of France. The small town is very pleasant with a huge lake in the middle.
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A Parisian Sunday Escape to the Country
10 years ago on a beautiful sunny late May Sunday afternoon we stopped at the town of Pierrefonds to se its "famous" castle. The roadside was packed for about a mile with cars parked everywhere and......
3
This beautiful Chateau overlooks this very quaint village,and the surrounding area.It was about 30minutes from our campsite,driving through some fantastic scenery,lots of forests and...
4
Pierrefonds - another way to see the past
Pierrefonds is a little village near Compiègne , 70 km from Paris , in the old province of Valois , now Picardy. Before the First World War, the village was known as Pierrefonds-les-Bains thanks to...
5
This beautiful castle is so foreboding on the outside, it sits atop a hill overlooking the town below as if keeping watch over the city. Seeing it these days, it's hard to believe that this castle was...
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