▲ Fontainebleau Palace, known in French as Château de Fontainebleau, is located in the town of Fontainebleau, 55 kilometers southeast of central Paris. It is one of France's grand royal palaces. This historic site served as a hunting lodge and summer residence for numerous French monarchs, including Louis VII, Francis I, Henry II, Louis-Philippe, Napoleon I, and Napoleon III. Although the kings only resided in the palace for a few months each year, they gradually transformed it into a true royal residence filled with art and decorative masterpieces. Designated as a national museum in 1927, it was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 for its unique architecture and historical significance.
▲ The Palace of Versailles (Château de Versailles) is one of France's most iconic royal palaces, located approximately 20 kilometers southwest of Paris in the city of Versailles. Renowned as a masterpiece of world architecture, it also symbolizes the pinnacle of French monarchy. Originally built in 1623 as a hunting lodge by Louis XIII, Versailles was later expanded by Louis XIV ("The Sun King") starting in 1661. He transformed it into the primary residence of the French royal family, gradually establishing it as the center of political power in France.
▲ The Ganne Inn in town, home to the Barbizon Painters Museum, showcases wooden murals by the Barbizon School artists, such as Théodore Rousseau, Narcisse Diaz, Celestin Nanteuil, and Louis Godefroy Jadin.
