The Seine-et-Marne – a taste of real France
Discover a land of plenty that art and heritage lovers, nature lovers, event enthusiasts and emotion seekers will adore.
Discover a land of plenty that art and heritage lovers, nature lovers, event enthusiasts and emotion seekers will adore.
Seine-et-Marne is a former royal land and a land of castles. The 3 castles of Fontainebleau, Vaux le Vicomte and Blandy les Tours will impress you by their diversity, the way they are preserved, their historical backgrounds and their majestic beauty.
The Chateau of Vaux le Vicomte was built in 1656 by Nicolas Fouquet, the finance minister of King Louis XIVth, and is the origin of Versailles. Today, Vaux le Vicomte is the largest private castle in France. It was voted France’s most beautiful private ch�teau of France and can be visited from the cellars to the roof. The chateau is well known for the richness of its furniture and decors but also for its French style gardens designed by Le N�tre.
Events at Vaux-le-Vicomte Ch�teau all year round
From May to October: Candlelit nights
A unique experience: a candlelight tour is held every Saturday night from May to October. Over 2 000 candles flicker in the ch�teau and gardens!
In June: “Great century day”
A day unlike any other, when visitors can come and lunch on the grass dressed in their own 17th- and 18th-century costumes.
In November: “Chocolate thrills” is a chance to discover the know-how and flavours created by the chocolate makers holding this gourmet experience at Vaux-le-Vicomte ch�teau. Displays, demonstrations, workshops and tasting sessions are on the programme for all gourmets.
In December: “Vaux-le-Vicomte celebrates Christmas”
The enchantment begins with snow falling on an alleyway of white pine trees in the main courtyard… Inside, children and adults alike marvel at a fairy tale decor of Christmas ornaments, chimney fires,
Christmas dinner tables, lights, Christmas trees and garland in the ch�teau’s rooms.
The Chateau of Fontainebleau, classified as a UNESCO site, boasts over 1,530 rooms, offers visitors a fabulous journey through eight centuries of French history. All the sovereigns of France lived in what Napoleon I called this �true home of kings�, each modifying its architecture and decoration as times and tastes changed. The fully furnished Ch�teau de Fontainebleau stands in the heart of a 116-hectare estate including a 1,145m long canal, French-style garden designed by Le N�tre and English-style garden where the spring responsible for the construction of the Ch�teau de Fontainebleau is located.
Events in the Ch�teau de Fontainebleau all year round
• classical music concerts: one of the chapels in the Ch�teau de Fontainebleau hosts concerts year round
• storytelling visits for the family: one week every six months (school holidays)
• in-depth tours: one theme per month, two tours
• guided tours of the palace and temporary exhibitions throughout the year.
• guided tours and workshop-tours: throughout the year, including during school holidays, activities are scheduled for individual children, leisure centres and school visits
• integration days: each year in September high school students can explore the Ch�teau de Fontainebleau inside and out with a guided tour, a workshop and a cultural game
Art History Festival in the Ch�teau de Fontainebleau
From 27 to 29 May
The French Ministry of Culture has created a new event: the Art History Festival. This event will take place within the Ch�teau de Fontainebleau and throughout the city. The theme chosen for this inaugural edition is the � Madness �, and Italy is the guest of honour country.
This Art History Festival’s inauguration will also be the occasion to celebrate the 500th anniversary of � The Praise of Folly � publication, work written by Erasmus.
Conferences, debates, exhibitions, this event invites art lovers, collectors, teachers and students, but also the curious to dump into the Art History heart.
Art education workshops, forums, an art film Festival, a book and art magazine fair, etc. will take place within the Ch�teau.
www.musee-chateau-fontainebleau.fr
If you love medieval history, come discover Blandy-les-Tours castle. Its 2007 reopening crowned 15 years of excavations, restorations and improvements. Blandy-les-Tours, one of the last witnesses of medieval architecture in Ile-de-France, looks like the postcard-prefect castle, majestically deploying its high curtain walls, machicolated rampart walk, arrow slits, merlons, crenellations, moats, towers, keep, etc.
The 3 chateaux walk, on 10th April 2011: join the walking enthusiasts and experienced ramblers in the walk to the prestigious 3 chateaux of the Seine-et-Marne. You can select you walk according to the distance you wish to walk. The itineraries that will be proposed to you will concentrate a heritage of exceptional national interest within a restricted geographic perimeter, in a natural environment.
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