Secrets of the Château de Fontainebleau: discover the small apartments

Want to find out more about the Château de Fontainebleau and its sovereigns? We'll take you on a tour of the Petits Appartements, the intimate rooms where the history and private lives of illustrious figures such as Napoleon I, Empress Josephine and Marie-Louise of Austria are intertwined. Far from the grandeur of the Grands Appartements, these spaces, accessible only on guided tours, reveal the daily life and intimacy of the sovereigns, in a setting that has been carefully designed since Louis XV and particularly invested by Napoleon to create a personal environment.

Originally the apartment des Bains of François I, then the King's apartments under Louis XV, these Petits Appartements were converted by NapoleonI to allow him to lead a private life alongside that of the court. Among the treasures on this tour is the Emperor's newly restored library.

The Château's guided tour begins at the famous Chapelle de la Trinité, a must-see before or after the visit. Guided through a series of discreet rooms, we discover the ingenious connection between private and public spaces, illustrating the duality of imperial life between official obligations and moments of intimacy.

Napoleon' s apartments are packed with revealing details of the emperor's daily life. The guide sheds light on Napoleon's habits. How did he groom himself? When did he get up? How did he eat? We discover fascinating aspects of his life, such as his work table, his cartography cabinet filled with strategic documents, and his personal library, rich in handwritten annotations that testify to his insatiable intellectual curiosity.

The secretaries' rooms, with their period furniture and the "Salon des Oiseaux" transformed by Empress Eugénie, offer a glimpse of the imperial working environment.

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The Empress's apartments, adapted to the needs of Josephine and then Marie-Louise, include private areas such as the study salon, with its furniture reflecting the Empress's activities, and the bedroom, preserving the faded colors of the original brocade.

Here, the atmosphere is more intimate and personal. The guide will describe how these spaces were transformed to suit the preferences and trends of the time, offering a glimpse into the interests and passions of the empresses. Captivating anecdotes, such as the hidden bathroom feature or the first purple-hued playroom, will enrich your experience.

The recently restored Salon Jaune will captivate you. Conceived in 1808 as an elegant reception space for Empress Josephine. Its main function was to serve as a gathering place for social events and official ceremonies, reflecting the importance of the imperial court and its taste for the pomp and refined decoration of the period.

There's also a violet-hued games room. Around the tables are chairs of various shapes and sizes, known as "voyeuses". These chairs enabled men to sit astride and women to sit in amazon, watching the game without participating.

This guided tour of the Petits Appartements at the Château de Fontainebleau is a unique opportunity to step back in time and enter the intimate world of the sovereigns. Thanks to the guides' enriching narratives, you'll find yourself transported into the daily lives of Napoleon, Josephine and Marie-Louise, discovering Fontainebleau's best-kept secrets. An immersive experience that reveals the hidden facets of imperial life.