deux chateaux

So last weekend I took a trip with the group that runs my housing (ACCENT) and we went to two chateaux right outside paris. The first one is Fontainebleau, which was an old hunting lodge back in the time of kings and queens, and the infamous napoleon. The thing was absolutely massive. I think it has 1500 rooms and such. And every king or nobleman that lived there added on a different part of the chateau so the whole thing was pretty much a hodgepodge of every type of architecture imaginable. And the thing is, the chateau was in utter disrepair and the French govt couldn’t afford to fix it, so until last year, no one could get in it. And even still today some of the rooms are still under plastic while they’re trying to update them. Oh, and while we were there a modern art display was going on throughout the entire chateau, so at one point you walk into a room and there’s an elephant upside down, balancing on its trunk. Another room has a cat that’s floating on the ceiling because its attached to a helium tank. Very very odd. Also, Fontainebleau was the last place that Napoleon was before his exile to elba, so he actually gave his farewell speech in the back courtyard. Interesting tidbit of info.

Okay, so the prettier, and overall just better one of the two chateaux was by far vaux le vicomte. The story goes: this man, Nicolas Fouquet, who was the minister of finance back in the days of King Louis the 14th, had this chateau designed by three men. Le brun, le vau, and le nôtre, who were ‘THE’ designers of the day. They made this absolutely fabulous chateau, and in order to celebrate Fouquet threw a lavish party to celebrate its completion. He even invited the King, who actually showed up and everything. Well, Louis the 14th was a rather immature person, and throughout the night became more and more jealous of this amazing chateau, so much so that before the party was over he had Fouquet arrested, and the three designers kidnapped. Fouquet was taken to court for something ridiculous like heresy, or something, more or less, just for the fact that he had a better chateau, and the court freed him, but the king overturned the ruling and instead sentenced him to death…. Or maybe it was life imprisonment. Either way, no more sunshine for mr. fouquet.

And on the subject of him taking away the designers… well, he kept them hostage until they designed an even greater chateau for him…. Namely, Versailles. Go figure.

oh, and did i mention that vaux was used in not one, but TWO movies. man in the iron mask and count of monte cristo. and for all you celebrity gossip people, it was also where eva longoria and tony parker got married. and no lies, there's even a little display about their wedding at the chateau. totally ridic.