Located north of Paris, the Chantilly Domain is one of the finest jewels in the crown of France’s cultural heritage. The castle is located in the heart of a vast area of 7800 hectares of land. The chateau architecture is typical of the Renaissance, a true work of art.
The château construction was built in 1386 on the ruins of an ancient medieval fortress. Over time the Château of Chantilly met several episodes of destruction and reconstruction, for example, during the French Revolution the château was confiscated as « national asset » and was used as a prison during the Terror period.
Finally in the nineteenth century, Duke of Aumale, the fifth son of King Louis-Philippe (Luis-Felipe) and last owner of Chantilly Castle, bequeathed it in 1884 to the Institut de France, with the condition that there would be a museum installed and open to the public after his death. The Château offers the 2nd largest national collection of old paintings after the Louvre, works like Raphael, Botticelli, Delacroix, Poussin, Ingres, among others. The Château also includes France’s most beautiful private library. The name Chantilly is also commonly known as: a culinary technique called crème Chantilly (whipped cream), Vatel’s Kitchen, Le Nôtre gardens and furthermore the most beautiful stables in the world.
