The province of Picardy, close to Paris, is famous for its luxurious castles. In terms of splendor, they are not inferior to Versailles or the palaces located along the banks of the Loire. One of these architectural gems is the Chantilly castle, nestled in the forests of the Nonette River valley 49 km from the capital of France, Paris. One glance is enough to take your breath away with admiration. An unusual combination of Gothic and Baroque architecture in architecture creates the impression of a frozen fairy tale.
Chantilly castle, France - description.
A path through the forest leads to the castle, which rises in the middle of a pond and is surrounded by magnificent gardens. The Chantilly complex consists of a palace that includes several buildings, as well as an ensemble of three landscape parks: French, English and Anglo-Chinese. Not far from Chantilly castle the Big Stables with the Horse Museum and a modern hippodrome are located.
Chantilly castle - history.
The castle of Chantilly got its name in the X century, during the conquest of Gaul by the Roman legions. It came from the name of the man who was the first to build a house for himself in these dense forests. Later, a castle was erected in its place, which served as protection for the owners. The interior decoration of the buildings of that time was not luxurious, the emphasis was on reliability.
In 1528, de Montmorency, the commander of the French army, became the owner of the castle, and the castle of Chantilly flourished. The owner decided to turn the fortress into a magnificent palace, for which he invited the famous architect J. Bulland. The current generation inherited only a part of the surviving buildings, called "Capitenry".
Soon, relatives of the French royal family - the Bourbons-Condés - became the owners of the Chantilly castle in France. The Duke of Condé continued to rebuild the buildings and improve the parkland, dreaming of making the estate a venue for sumptuous balls and receptions. The architect Le Nôtre started work, creating a French park with a cascade of fountains. Later, an Anglo-Chinese park was created with richly equipped "huts" for guests, fruit trees and canals.
Chantilly Park.
The entire park complex has been restored, and today visitors can walk along the paths of the English garden, admire the swans swimming in the lake, visit the Temple of Venus or the Gazebo of Love with the preserved statue of Eros. In the Anglo-Chinese park, there are bridges over the canals and three "huts". Like a few hundred years ago, today you can take a walk through the labyrinth, which is slightly different from the previous one.
All the owners of the estate were wealthy people, well versed in painting, music and literature. They tried in every possible way to augment the already existing collections. The collection of paintings, household items made of porcelain and precious metals, unique books and sculptures could be envied by the Louvre. But the French Revolution did not spare either the parks or the palaces that make up the ensemble. The magnificent collections were plundered, the parks were ravaged.
By a happy coincidence, the anger of the crowd was pacified, and the pogroms were suppressed. Chantilly castle began to be restored. The end of the 19th century was marked by the reconstruction of the Great Castle and the return to their native land of almost all stolen exhibits. The last of the Condé family handed over the estate to the Duke of Omalsky, who continued the restoration of the complex, and in his declining years bequeathed all the property to the Institute of France.
Chantilly castle collection, France.
To fully get acquainted with all the sights and exhibits included in the exposition, it will take much more time than planned for the excursion. More than 1000 paintings by famous painters are on display. In the library of the Prince of Orleans, 13,000 unique old books and manuscripts are displayed in two tiers. The entire collection numbers 30,000 pieces, some of which are over 400 years old.
A huge room is allocated in the palace, in which paintings by Raphael, Poussin and other great artists are placed on the burgundy walls. According to the last will of the testator, paintings should not be swapped or exhibited in other museums.
The elegant design of the interior decoration of all the palace rooms is striking in its variety:
- chandeliers made from countless details;
- gilded furniture;
- various carved decorative figures;
- walls decorated with tapestries;
- painted ceilings;
- gas lanterns;
- marble staircase, etc.
All this leads visitors to the castle of Chantilly in France in awe. Therefore, it is not surprising that this place is so attractive for tourists. It is better to come here at the beginning of summer, at this time you can meet famous actors and musicians, show business figures and royalty. They come to the races held at the hippodrome. Here every year you can admire a grandiose fireworks show. By the way, it was in the castle of Chantilly in France that the films "Vidocq" and "Vatel" were filmed.
France. Chantilly castle. The gem of the French Renaissance.Chantilly Castle is located in France. Erected by Pierre Chambige for the Duke de Montmorency in the 16th century in the French Renaissance style, this architectural ensemble became one of the pearls of the French Renaissance.
Since Montmorency himself served under seven kings, and his children were raised alongside the crown princes, it is not surprising that so many royals visited this castle, admiring the splendor here.
The love story of Henry IV, who at that time was 54 years old, to fifteen-year-old Charlotte de Monorancy is also connected with this castle. Wishing to observe decency, the king gives the girl in marriage to one of the representatives of the Condé dynasty. However, the obedient groom suddenly becomes an obstinate husband and takes the young wife to Belgium, where they are under the auspices of the King of Spain.
This aroused the king's anger so strong that he even seriously contemplated military action. These plans were not destined to come true, since soon Henry was killed by the religious fanatic Ravallac. 
After returning to France after his death, the young couple after a while takes possession of the castle of Chantilly. Its heyday is associated with the name of their son, Prince of Condé. It was he who commissioned the most famous French park designer Le Notre to decorate the green spaces around the castle.
Chantilly is also proud of its fountains, which are considered one of the most beautiful in France. No wonder Louis XIV, when building Versailles, took the fountains of Chantilly as a model.
Constable of France Anne de Montmorency.
As an admirer and patron of the arts, the Prince of Condé often invited famous writers and artists to his castle. Among them were Boileau, Racine, La Fontaine, Madame de Sevigny. Here, in Chantilly, the first performance of Moliere's "Tartuffe" took place, which was also a frequent guest of the Prince of Condé.
Chantilly - one of the most beautiful castles of the Ile-de-France - stands in stately solitude, surrounded by a moat, in the middle of a thicket of woods. Chantilly is a whole world with parks and gardens, great works of art and an eventful history of its own.
Arriving at the Chantilly castle, you immediately plunge into the atmosphere of the life of the aristocracy of the 18th century. Its beautifully restored rooms are furnished with period furniture, the walls of the library are filled with bookshelves from floor to ceiling, and the private chambers look as if their inhabitants have just stepped out.
Inside the building. It's really real palace- marble staircases, painted shades, gilding and stained-glass windows, sculptures, chandeliers, luxurious dishes, beautiful paintings on the walls. Raphael, Van Dyck, Piero di Cosimo, Filippino Lippi, forty miniatures by Jean Fouquet, Poussin, Dutch marine painters, Theodore Rousseau, Ingres, Delacroix ...
Coat of arms of the house of Bourbon-Condé on the floor of the castle of Chantilly.
Library.
The famous library of the Prince of Orleans has been preserved in excellent condition, and it contains more than 13,000 rare books and manuscripts, including the psalter of Queen Ingeborg of Denmark, wife of Philip Augustus, and the famous "Book of Hours" of the Duke of Berry.
Library.
Library.
Its walls are adorned with paintings illustrating the victories won by the Grand Conde in battles.
Gallery of the deeds of the Lord Prince.
Gallery of the deeds of the Lord Prince.
Gallery of the deeds of the Lord Prince.
Mister Prince's room.
Mister Prince's room. This is a luxurious room, decorated with wood and gilded panels, paintings and furniture, most of which, alas, was taken out of here during the years of the revolution. This cannot prevent, however, from admiring the magnificent Risener chest of drawers, which was commissioned for the bedroom of Louis XVI in Versailles.
Mister Prince's room.
And also paintings depicting animals, which were painted by Christophe Hue.
Bedroom of the Countess.
The Countess's bedroom contains Louis XV style chairs, a four-poster bed and a bassinet for a baby. The neo-Gothic style is complemented by the mahogany marquetry technique. The boudoir is decorated with purple satin, brocade and silver. Here stands a Grohe mahogany piano. A small room connects the residences of the Count and Countess with walls in the Sengerie style, which depict monkeys.
This room is located in the reception quarters and represents a considerable artistic value... It was painted in 1737. The walls are decorated with magnificent painted panels, from which you simply cannot take your eyes off. Mirrors are installed over the large fireplaces, which create an even larger feeling of space.
The chairs were brought from Versailles, from the chambers of Marie Antoinette. And one of them, shaped like an anchor, once belonged to the Comte de Toulouse, and was brought from his house in Rambouillet.
The fireplace screen with a monkey, which appeared here only in 1890, is also interesting in this room. This work of the master Christophe Hue was acquired by the Duke of Omal to decorate this particular room in Chantilly - he thought that the screen with the monkey would fit perfectly into the interior of the Grand Sangerie and was absolutely right.
Music salon. Candlesticks in the music room of the castle of Chantilly.
Music salon.
This room is dedicated to the memory of the Duke of Enghien. Magnificent gilded candlesticks, gilded doors and wall panels, as well as gilded musical instruments create a splendor of luxury and opulence that permeates the chateau's rooms, and especially the Chantilly Château's Music Salon.
Music salon.
Chapel of hearts of the Condé family.
Let's take a look at the chapel of the palace. It was built relatively recently - in 1882, but exactly on the spot where the old chapel was located even before the revolution. 
Chapel of hearts of the Condé family.
The altar is attributed to the master Jean Goujon, and the magnificent stained glass windows date back to the 16th century.
Chapel of hearts of the Condé family.
Ceiling.
Chapel of hearts of the Condé family.
In its back, behind the altar, there is an urn containing the hearts of the princes of Condé and Henry II (the bodies of the deceased rest in a church in Burgundy). 
Chapel of hearts of the Condé family.
During the turbulent revolutionary times, many graves were desecrated, and in order to save the memory of the princes, it was decided to hide their hearts in a church in Chantilly, and then, a century later, they were transferred to a new chapel.
Chapel of hearts of the Condé family.
This room was originally planned for the placement of paintings, therefore it has such a non-standard shape - a coffered ceiling, a glass roof that gives a large number of natural light.The uniqueness of the collection of paintings in this room places the Chantilly Art Gallery in second place after the Louvre Museum.
Pictures are hung on the burgundy walls: on the left - an Italian school, on the right - a French one. The order of the paintings was determined by the duke himself in accordance with his plans. He also bequeathed never to change the location of the paintings and to exhibit at least one of them in another place, except in the castle of Chantilly. Therefore, all these pictures can be seen only here.
Forty kilometers from Paris is this amazing place... Against the background of an old park - masterpieces of Baroque architecture in a necklace of ponds, and next to it - the grass path of the hippodrome, which leads to the walls magnificent palace... But no, this is not a palace, these are stables - the most grandiose and, perhaps, the most beautiful in the world.
Horses still live in them today, or rather, reign: a unique museum is located here, in which art, history and a hymn to a noble animal merge together.
Renowned for its castle and park, Chantilly has long attracted horse-riding enthusiasts who come here to race or to visit the Horse and Pony Museum, housed in what must be the world's most beautiful stables with luxurious stalls for horses.
It is these stables that make Chantilly stand out from other castles. Henri-Louis Bourbon, who owned the castle at the beginning of the 18th century, commissioned the architect Jean Aubert for a grandiose building in which there should have been room for 240 horses, a pack of 300 hounds, all carriages, a training arena and living quarters for grooms, coachmen and posters ... The main building alone is 186 meters long. 
A source
The Chantilly estate changed owners over the centuries, but it always belonged to aristocratic dynasties that were very close and related to the royal power and often competed with it: Montmorency, Bourbon-Condé, and the last owner Henry of Orléans, Duke of Omalle gathered a significant art collection, which together with the castle was donated to France in 1884. I think everyone knows the 15th century manuscript "The Magnificent Book of Hours of the Duke of Berry" with the famous miniatures - the Duke of Omal bought it for the collection in 1856 and since then it has been kept in Chantilly, you can also see mosaics and objects from Pompeii here. A the collection of Chantilly paintings is in second place in France after the Louvre collection, there is paintings by Raphael, Botticelli, Titian, Ingres, Delacroix, Poussin. It is interesting that the halls of the Condé Museum look like they were at the end of the nineteenth century, because according to the will of the Duke of Omalsky, not a single item from his collections can be taken out of the Chantilly estate, and the permanent exhibition should not be changed.
For those who missed the beginning and have not yet been to, I advise you to first look into the previous post, and we will go inside the Renaissance chateau surrounded by water. Although in reality this castle turns out to be a reconstruction of the 19th century. During the revolution, the Great Castle of Chantilly was destroyed, so in 1875 the Duke of Omalsky commissioned the architect Honoré Domé to build a new castle in the same place, but at the same time the task was to prepare the premises for the collection. For the restoration project, Domé used plans and engravings of the 16th century, he managed to convey the spirit of French Renaissance architecture
In addition to visual arts the Duke of Omal's passion was books: he bought books at auctions throughout Europe. The collection is exhibited in a cozy library (1876-1877). Metal two-level structure with a gallery characteristic of the library architecture of the second half of the XIX century. Although there is no audio guide in the castle, there is a large information sheet in Russian in each room
Chantilly holds nearly 1,500 manuscripts, after collection National Library France is the second largest library in the country with manuscripts decorated with ornaments and miniatures. The oldest manuscripts date back to the 11th century. Unfortunately, the most valuable gem of the collection - "The Magnificent Book of Hours of the Duke of Berry" - cannot be seen in the original, for the sake of safety it is not displayed, you can only look at the facsimile copy and leaf through the electronic version
I will also decorate my story with a couple of plots from the famous book of hours, resurrecting before us pictures of medieval life and thoughts. February, Paul Limburg. The miniaturist takes us outside into the cold winter air. Snowy landscape, the city in the background, covered with snow, along the road to which a peasant with a donkey wanders. Another peasant diligently chops wood, and the third hurries to the shelter. In the foreground, we see a farm and peasants basking in a small wooden house. The tunics of both men are raised high to warm their legs, and the woman only slightly opened her ankles.
Terribly beautiful in its contrasting performance "Purgatory", Jean Colombes. And how stunningly executed a Gothic frame that creates a three-dimensional effect
Photo from the site en.wikipedia.org
During my visit, there was an exhibition in the central showcases on the Duke's family ties with the United States. The book "Uncle Tom's Cabin", published in 1853, I remember how I burst into tears as a child while reading this book
And this funny illustration from one of the books: two tattooed natives perched next to a European, the faces of the whole trinity are so expressive. Judging by the signature, this is a caricature of the father of Louis Philippe of Orleans, the Duke of Omalsk, who was King of France Louis Philippe I from 1830 to 1848. After a series of revolutionary events in 1796, Louis Philippe ended up in America and Cuba, where he lived for three years
On the ground floor, there are the Great Chambers, which recreate the ceremonial splendor of an 18th century apartment - a classic palace suite with a bedroom, a music room and unusually decorated reception rooms. During the revolution, the castle was plundered, and the Duke of Omalsky collected furniture and decorations of that time throughout the country in order to restore the period of grandeur and splendor of the princes of Condé.
In 1643, the Chantilly estate became the property of the Bourbon-Condé family. On the initiative of Louis II de Bourbon, Prince de Condé (1621-1686), known as the Great Condé, the famous gardener of Versailles André Le Notre took over the Chantilly park. The time of the Great Condé - the golden age of Chantilly, the estate became the main place for fashionable society and intellectual communication, balls and fireworks. During the Fronde, the Great Conde was at first on the side of the official power in the person of Mazarin and a minor Louis XIV, but then behaved insolently towards Mazarin and Queen Regent Anne of Austria, and after a year of imprisonment led the new Fronde of Princes, but lost, and for fifteen years was expelled from the court of the sun king
Over the fireplace antique mosaic from a villa in Stabia, ancient city on the shore Gulf of Naples near Pompeii. Stabiae were also buried for centuries during the eruption of Vesuvius. In the second half of the 18th century, excavations began in Stabia
The mosaic depicts the famous mythological plot of the abduction of Europa by the god Jupiter, who turned into a bull. The mosaic was part of the collection of the father-in-law of the Duke of Omalsky - Leopold, Prince of Bourbon-Sicily
One of the rooms has a funny name - "The Great Monkey House". This boudoir testifies to the fashion for Asia in the 18th century, the walls are decorated with frescoes of monkeys and Chinese. In the plots of painting, allegories of war, hunting, painting, sculpture, geometry, chemistry
Monkey with a grenade with a gun. You can even find a geographer monkey sitting on a world map, a sculptor monkey
Beautiful chair - the general background has faded, and the bouquet of flowers is still bright and colorful
The monkey theme also continues on the mantelpiece. And on the table is a mosaic with Chinese motives
The gallery of battles, or the gallery of the deeds of the Great Condé, was decorated at the end of the 17th century by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, the court architect of King Louis XIV. The gallery of battles presents a series of eleven paintings commissioned by the Great Condé himself and illustrating his main military victories: the capture of Perpignan in 1642, the battles of Rocroix 1643, Friborg 1644, Nordlingen 1645, Dunkirk 1646, the conquest of Angers and the siege of Lleida 1647, Lens 1648, the blockade of Paris 1649, conquest of Franche-Comté in 1668 and crossing of the Rhine in 1672
Recognizing the military victories of the Great Conde, historians say that he distinguished by arrogance, stinginess, cruelty, insulting rudeness with subordinates, during the battle for the sake of brilliance and a quick and strong onslaught, he did not spare the people, the troops of Condé were especially distinguished by robberies and violence
Further there are galleries and rooms in which the art collection of the Duke of Omalsky was housed. A tour of the museum begins from the Deer Hall, or the Deer Dining Room. The hall is named after the building built in 1528 in the old castle of Anne de Montmorency. A hall with a balcony to accommodate musicians under the Duke of Omal was used as a ceremonial dining room. At the Duke's first musical dinner, one of the guests was Alexandre Dumas. On the ceiling, decorated with caissons, as was customary in the 16th century, the coats of arms of the owners of Chantilly are depicted. All other decorations of the hall are connected with the hunting theme. The walls are hung with trellises of the 17th century from the cycle "The Hunt of Emperor Maximilian in the Environs of Brussels" - a replica of the famous Flemish series of the 16th century, commissioned by Louis XIV at the Tapestry manufactory for his illegitimate son, the Count of Toulouse. The original is currently in the Louvre. The trellis depicts scenes of a court hunt in different times of the year. This room reminded me of my beloved Fontainebleau
Previously, I did not understand the beauty of tapestries, but recently I was imbued with this art. Last year in Madrid in royal palace I saw a room decorated with excellent tapestries on an unusual theme - tropical flowers, plants, animals are woven, unfortunately, photography in Spain is constantly prohibited, which is stupid, because the general public does not know which standing place to visit this royal palace
By the way, the familiar word "tapestry" arose precisely in France in the 17th century, and before they used other names, in Russian official name of this art - tapestry. Tapestry was the name of the family in whose house the French manufactory was located. It is also interesting that for some cycles of tapestries, a book miniature served as a model, and tiny miniatures turned into grandiose tapestry carpets. I really wanted to see the famous series of tapestries "Lady with the Unicorn", which is kept in Paris in the Cluny Museum, but the museum was closed for renovations.
After dinner, the Duke invited his guests to a large painting gallery, very similar to one of the halls of the Hermitage, with The heart of the Condé Museum.The gallery is illuminated by an overhead light, its walls are decorated with "Pompeian red". Pictures are placed in the so-called "salon hanging". On the left side there are paintings of the Italian school and works that were created in Italy, for example, the work of Nicolas Poussin. The right side is reserved for samples of French painting and works of orientalists
"Lady in the Bathtub", portrait of the official favorite of King Henry IV Gabriel d "Estre, first quarter of the 17th century
At the end of the art gallery there is a circular rotunda hall, which houses several famous paintings and a wonderful marble statue "Jeanne d" Arcs listening to voices "1873, sculptor Henri Chapu
And on the floor is a mosaic on the floor with a hunting scene discovered during excavations in Pompeii, probably from Casa dei Fiori (House of Flowers / House of Three Courtyards / House of Boars). After visiting Pompeii and I am breathing unevenly towards antique mosaics, and here there is also a magnificent version of colored mosaics, I was impressed
How skillfully the ducks are laid out, the specialist will probably be able to even identify the types of fish
And the white-black dog and the wild boar pursued by him are so good! Even the hairs on the tail of the dog and the skin of the boar were laid out by the master. Only it is not clear what this orange beast in the corner is.
The hog is trying to run away from the hunter and the dog at full speed
Two thousand years have passed since the burial of Pompeii under a heap of ash, and the bright colors on the tails of the roosters have not faded.
In the rotunda there is a portrait of one of the most beautiful women of the Renaissance, the beloved of Giuliano Medici, the younger brother of Lorenzo the Magnificent. This is "Portrait of Simonetta Vespucci" by Piero di Cosimo, before 1520. The cherry on top of this love story is the fact that Simonetta was married. By the time the portrait was created, she was no longer alive: she died in 1476 at the age of twenty-three from consumption. The hair is styled in an intricate hairstyle of braids intertwined with pearl necklaces and adorned with large pearls, and the forehead is shaved high in the fashion of the time. Dark clouds in the background almost repeating the profile of Simonetta, a withered tree on the left and a snake coiled around a chain symbolize the girl's premature death, although according to another interpretation, the snake biting itself on the tail is an allegory of eternity or a symbol of the renewal of life. It is believed that it was Simonetta who served as the prototype for Sandro Botticelli's painting "The Birth of Venus", Botticelli even bequeathed to be buried next to Simonetta in the Onissanti church, which was performed 34 years after her death
Lorenzo the Magnificent writes that after reading a letter about the death of the beautiful Simonetta, he went out into the garden: "It was night, and my dear friend and I walked together, talking about the misfortune that struck us. The weather was clear, and we, talking, saw a sparkling star in the west, so bright that it eclipsed not only other stars with its radiance, but others as well. luminaries, dimmed in its light. Admiring that star, I turned to my friend and said: We will not be surprised if the soul of this wondrous lady has turned into a new star or, ascending, united with it. "
"Madonna of the Veil" by Raphael Santi, c. 1508. The painting depicts the holy family - Mary, Joseph and the baby Christ playing with his mother's veil. From the twilight, Joseph looks at what is happening with sadness, as if foreseeing the future. In Renaissance painting, the veil meant the combination of the Nativity, when the Madonna wrapped the baby in a veil from her head, and the Crucifixion, when the Mother of God covered her crucified son with the same veil
The Round Room La Tribune - Tribune - named after a room in the Florentine Uffizi Gallery in Florence, is also hexagonal and draped in red velvet, and paintings are placed in a circle on eight walls.
I really liked this black-eyed beauty from Ingres painting "Portrait of Madame Devos", 1807
In a small office precious stones X weapons and jewelry collections, as well as portrait miniatures are wounded. Chantilly has a collection of almost 350 miniatures, portraits mainly of representatives of the families of the princes of Condé, the dukes of Orleans, the house of the Habsburgs and the Bourbon-Sicilians. Remember how Elizabeth viewed a miniature portrait of Mr. Darcy in a window like this in Pride and Prejudice?
Beautiful, the spirit of bygone eras
Santuario (from Italian "sanctuary") is a small room with an overhead light, where two small paintings by Raphael are kept: "The Three Graces" and "Madonna of the House of Orleans", a panel with Filippino Lippi's painting "Esther and Artaxerxes" and 40 miniatures by Jean Fouquet from "The Book of Hours of Etienne Chevalier"
The Book of Hours by Etienne Chevalier is a manuscript written by the first master of the French Renaissance, Jean Fouquet, around 1452-1460. The largest part of the surviving miniatures (40 sheets) is in the Condé Museum, in Chantilly. The remaining seven sheets are scattered across several collections. In The Book of Hours, executed in the first decades of the French Renaissance, Fouquet freed himself from the format of illustrating manuscripts traditional for the Middle Ages. Using new techniques, he renewed the art of illumination, and his approach marked a turning point in the history of French illustration art. Several sheets were divided into two fields: in the upper - the main plot, in the lower - adjoining ones, or some fantastic creature, as in Gothic painting - which was an innovation. The Book of Hours was divided at the beginning of the 18th century in the Monastery of Saint-Maur: the edges of the sheets with miniatures were cut off (presumably, the miniatures were framed with ornamental frames). The text and capital letters, which could not be cut off due to being too close to the miniatures, were retouched or sealed with pieces of parchment. Thus, the miniatures, freed from border decorations, patterned frames and other decor, each turned into a kind of separate picture. Forty of them were grouped and, around 1790, mounted on oak planks in one of the Parisian workshops.
"Saint Hilaire" appears before the cathedral under the chairmanship of the heretical Pope Leon, and below tells about the island of Gallinaria, near Genoa, where reptiles fled before the saint
The illustrations also show French architecture of that time. For the most part, Paris is depicted as the place of permanent residence of the customer. "Madonna Enthroned" from the Theotokos cycle of miniatures. The Virgin and Child sits in a niche surrounded by a Gothic portal. The choir of angels plays music, sings or favors the Mother of God
"Saint John the Evangelist" from the cycle of the Passion of Christ. Fouquet shows the young apostle, clinging to the breast of the Lord during the prediction of the betrayal of Judas, who offers bread. Bas-reliefs in golden hues depict Saint John overthrowing idols in Ephesus, the priest makes him drink poison, and the baptism of the priest and proconsul of Asia. In a cartouche supported by two angels, Saint John in a barrel of boiling oil
"The Arrest of Jesus" from the cycle of the Passion of Christ. Emotional scene against the backdrop of a beautiful evening sky
"Carrying the Cross" during the ascent to Calvary, on the right, Saint Veronica is waiting for Christ. In the Parisian landscape, we see the Sainte-Chapelle chapel, built to house the crown of thorns. In the background, a hanging Judas sways on a tree. The scene below shows how the nails for the crucifix are forged. In a rectangle, Saint Veronica holds a plaque on which the portrait of Christ was imprinted, which became the prototype of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands
"Crucifixion" Jesus and two thieves against the sky, the Savior's feet are crossed. An agitated circle, consisting of soldiers, Pilate and the high priest on a horse, facing the viewer with their backs. In the foreground, four soldiers, indifferent and relaxed, are playing dice for the garment of Christ. At a distance from these two groups and moving back to the borders of the image, in a pyramidal composition, the Mother of God gently held by Saint John, looking with tears at the crucifixion of Christ
In 1725, by order of the Duke of Bourbon, one of the first manufactories for the production of porcelain was created in Chantilly, for which the Japanese Siker Sira was invited. First, they made an imitation of Japanese porcelain without kaolin - fragile porcelain, with the addition of white marl, only in 1769 kaolin deposits were discovered in Limoges. The influence of the East is also noticeable in the painting and forms.
Antique art cabinet. In 1843, the Duke of Omal was present at the excavations in Pompeii, and some items were kindly presented to him. Glass vessels recovered almost two thousand years later
Graceful terracotta statuette of a woman looking in the mirror
Going down the stairs, I found myself in the chapel of the castle, dedicated to St. Louis. The chapel was built on the site of an old pre-revolutionary chapel and was designed to accommodate objects from the Écouin castle: an altar with a bas-relief by Jean Goujon "The Sacrifice of Abraham", carved panels and two stained-glass windows. The walls of the chapel are decorated with images of St. Christopher and St. John, here is also the flag of the Augsburg division, which was captured at the Battle of Rocroix
In the Chapel of Condé, there is an urn containing the hearts of the princes of Condé and Henry II. Hearts were hidden during the revolution. The last heart was placed in the urn by the Duke of Omal himself, this is the heart of his eldest son Louis of Orleans, who died in Sydney in 1866
I really wanted to take a leisurely stroll through the Chantilly park, but when I left the castle, I saw heavy thunderclouds in the sky. But hoping for luck, I decided to go to the park. The territory is divided into three parts: the French garden André Le Nôtre with fountains, statues, green lawns, late 17th century; an Anglo-Chinese garden with five country houses, inspired by the village of Marie Antoinette in the Petit Trianon, 1773; and English landscape park, 1819
The miracle did not happen, and as soon as I went out into the English garden, it began to rain. WITH Hell was designed during the Restoration and occupies the site of part of the gardens of André Le Nôtre, which were destroyed during the revolution. Walking trails lead to a rotunda pavilion with a statue of Venus, a lake of love.
Unlike the French-style garden, with its geometric layout and grandiose perspectives, the English garden draws inspiration from romanticism, the art of the garden means the decoration of natural nature, so that everything looks as if it has grown
From the streams of rain, I had to hide under a spreading tree, next to which is a fenced-in pasture for sheep
In such weather it is not very interesting to walk, so I had to turn back. These round mirrored fountains and a lawn are precisely the French garden of André Le Nôtre. The jets of the fountains can hit up to a height of five meters, which was considered an engineering achievement at the time. The Grand Canal is 2.5 km long, six hundred meters longer than the Canal at Versailles
The French-style garden symbolizes the triumph of order over disorder, culture over the desert, reflections of spontaneity. It is characterized by a theatrical setting of the garden, the purpose of which is to surprise the visitor with a perspective play, in such a garden, a geometric layout that is often symmetrical, flower beds, groves and ponds decorated with numerous statues. Le Nôtroux was opposed by the idea of an English garden with winding paths and imitation of wildlife
I was left with a feeling of dissatisfaction that I could not calmly walk in the park, so I will have to return to Chantilly again somehow. And next time we will again turn to the skill of Le Nôtre, and we will see famous castle with the garden of Vaux-le-Vicomte.
“In the period from 1632 to 1700. the great Le Nôtre created the most famous French parks, such as: Vaux-le-Vicomte, Marly, Saint-Cloud, Versailles, Chantilly. The ideas of French absolutism were reflected in the formation of the classic landscape gardening style of the 17th century - the French regular garden with its characteristic elements: parterres, bosquets, borders, bersot, trellises, pavilions, hermitages, fountains, sculptures, topiary, and tub trees. The style is known for its geometric layout. It is all the more surprising, 49 km from Paris, to see an excellent landscape park with a magnificent castle, which impressed me much more than Versailles and Vaux-le-Vicomte.
Chantilly (1663-1684), like other parks of the time, was influenced by the new fashion, and part of the park was very carefully redesigned. Careful, because the Chantilly estate was the residence of the princes of Condé, and everything that remained of their ancestors was kept there: works of art and culture. And today the castle houses the second most important collection of French paintings after the Louvre. According to the idea of Le Nôtre and the techniques used to create the garden, it was close to the landscape, with the exception of the main parterre, stairs and an amphitheater (wierjugaden), which were located directly in front of the castle, and where all the holidays were held. The additions in the 18th century to Le Nôtre's work were made with extreme care, and the result is a picture of exceptional value and integrity. The entire landscape reconstruction did not have even a hint of the fantasticness, capriciousness or heaping, which distinguished other gardens, converted in the latest fashion. 
Of course, not everything has survived to this day, but, fortunately, there is a guide to the Chantilly gardens "PROMENADES OUITINERAIRE DE JARDINS DE CHANTILLY", published in 1791. From it you can learn a lot: what has disappeared and what you need to know in order to imagine the luxury and artistic value of such estates. The description begins with a flower parterre located near the terrace, bordered by balustrades with 28 large white marble vases, the handles of which, made of gilded lead, looked like ram's heads. The pedestals on which the vases stood are adorned with masks that eject water. A small moat ran along the terrace, filled with water from a stream, which served as the water supply for Chantilly. 
Of particular interest was the theater under open air... There was a water theater in Versailles, but there the effect was obtained from a combination of green perspectives and streams, and in Chantilly, a combination of a real theater and garden cascades was created. This invention shows the richness of the ideas of that era, at the same time explains the possibility of theatrical decorations and even scenes appearing in the gardens. What did this open-air theater look like? I quote: “... On the other side of the gallery there is a square“ Pavilion of Apollo ”, decorated with two vases on the outside, and inside with eight monophonic panels representing dramatic writers and scenes of their works. Apollo Belvedere was painted on the door at the back of the pavilion. The door, swinging open, gives access to the theater lobby, where two staircases lead directly to the theater. The auditorium is very richly decorated with silver against a blue background. Columns in the form of palm tree trunks rise above the boxes, forming arcades and supporting the curtains, and from above there is a ceiling decorated with cupids and garlands. The luxury and grace of this room is not its only charm. Using a hidden mechanism, you can open the background of the scene, and then from the outside you can see a niche with a statue of Diana, which is placed on 
a cascade of numerous jets of water falling into the pool. This perspective is complemented by eight sleek cascades that begin to beat on stage at will, like in a garden. These real cascades, superbly complemented by the appropriate decorations and background perspective, make the most extraordinary, brilliant impression during the performances under the illumination of more than 500 candles and seem to be real magic. "
The water parterre with the "Sheaf" fountain - one of the best creations of Le Nôtre - consists of a wide canal bay, where statues of the four seasons and vases are placed. On both sides 
the bay contains parterre sections, divided into flower beds and decorated with five pools and fountains. On both sides of the parterre there is an alley and a row of vases. Amur Island is located near the left lane. The island looks good for its purpose. A wooden bridge leads to it. At one end of the alley there is a statue of the Shy Venus, at the other - Venus Callipigi, in the middle there is a hall of greenery surrounded by eight marble baths. In the middle of the hall is a statue of a wingless cupid, holding not a bow, but a heart. On the pedestal are Gruvel's poems: “Naked as truth, unarmed as innocence, wingless as constancy - the Cupid of the Golden Age brings only the heart to beauty. You cannot find such a god of love, but they are looking for him everywhere. " Chained parterres, sycamore groves and fountains complete the decoration of this place. Nearby is 
the pavilion of Venus is a small, oblong mound decorated with trellises. Its facade consists of four Ionic columns, and on its pediment are depicted doves, a torch, arrows, baskets of flowers, in a word, all the attributes of the one to whom this temple is dedicated. In the pavilion, fountains in the form of mushrooms gush, and their water falls into the marble figured pools. Mirrors reflect these fountains. In the middle of each of the windows there is a vase made of iridescent alibaster with handles in the form of cupids. From these vases, high streams beat out, then falling back into them.
The next fragment is the English Park. In it, art changes nature only for decoration and resemblance to the best examples created by nature. Everywhere the garden offers joyful and pleasant views, while walking through this garden you can forget the neighboring luxury. 
The space occupied by this site, until 1780, was a swampy meadow, transformed, as it were, by magic into a marvelous landscape. Groves of huge trees, lawns, flowers were suddenly replaced by reeds and gurgling water. The channel of flowing water, beginning and ending in smooth cascades, formed by small streams murmuring between the trees, bends and gives a rapid flow in several cascades. Not far from the sod bench, an exceptionally picturesque view opens up. Through the clearing, you can see a bridge over a stream made of rock fragments, and behind them, in the distance, a cascade, which is located at the beginning of a large canal. Further, the traveler through the garden finds himself in a cave, which is a huge rocky arch hanging over the stream. Crossing the bridge across the stream we find ourselves on the "English meadow" - a lawn surrounded by groups of rare plants and flower beds with various flowers. A stream flowing surrounded by greenery completes this picture. 
In the same part of the park there are seven buildings called huts, scattered and covered with thatch. In the middle is a wide lawn area cut by paths. An old elm tree grows on one side, on the other there is a well and a number of vegetable gardens. One of the huts is a water mill, another is a barn, and the third is a dairy. The next house is very modest in appearance, so it seems to be the abode of the poor, but inside it amazes with splendor, since it is full of all the dishes intended for Condé to stay in huts. Further on, there is a modest building intended for a dining room and arranged in the form of a hunting hut. It seems to the visitor that he is transported to the forest. The stumps of trees are used for sitting, flowers grow right in the ground, several holes, as if accidentally made between the branches, with which the hut is decorated, give light. 
During dinner, the hall is illuminated by a garland of lanterns that seem to be suspended from branches. Another hut serves as a billiard room and another as a library. Also in Chantilly there was a menagerie, a dovecote with two fountains, a peacock yard, where a fountain was arranged in the form of four peacocks, throwing jets of water on a crow sitting on a sink. In the pheasant yard, the fountain consisted of a rock with two pheasants, from whose mouths streams fell into the pool.
In those days, it was fashionable to celebrate all the holidays in the gardens. For this, all kinds of temples and Chinese pavilions were built. The holidays were on a grand scale.
The journey through the park is over, but the unforgettable impressions of the amazingly beautiful landscape park will forever remain in your memory ”.
Getting to this magnificent place is not difficult at all: 25 minutes by train from the Gare du Nord (Gare du Nord), to the Chantilly-Gouvieux stop. Finding your bearings on the spot is also quite simple.
Entrance to the territory of the Chantilly castle: a bridge over a moat, a ticket office in a small house and a gate (the gate is not visible in the picture, but believe me - they are there!). 
It would seem - March 4! And already the lawn is exactly trimmed green. Although it goes without saying - the climate is different.
I liked this cute "house"
You look at him and it seems that a sweet lady in a powdered wig is about to peek out from behind the curtain:
And again - a bridge over the moat. =) Beauty is beauty, but they preferred not to forget about safety measures.
CourtyardCapitainerie: The building on the right is the Capitainerie ensemble, all that remains of the castle, which Anne de Montmorency commissioned to build Jean Bullan next to the already existing castle. Now it houses a restaurant.
Capitenry or Kitchens de Vetel. Unfortunately. only such a picture is available. 
Panorama
Small panorama shot from the monument to Anne de Montmorency
View of the bridge in front of the entrance to the Courtyard of Honor:
1. Gates of the Court of Honor
2. View of the bridge from sides of the "house" and Capitenry:
Entrance to the Courtyard of Honor. There are sculptures in the niches, at the top there is a cartouche with a coat of arms, everywhere there is a lot of decor. And yet beauty is beauty, and the bars are real.
There are two small galleries to the right and left of the gate.
Court of Honor. Entrance to the Reception of the Castle:
View of the Chapel, it is located to the left of the entrance to the Reception Room. 
I love this architecture. Thoughtful and harmonious solutions. Not boring and no frills. 
Courtyard of Honor, view from the Chapel:
The statue Constable Anne de Montmorency:
Figures of hunting dogs, funny as follows:
