Clockwise from top left: Photo from Château de Mez-le-Maréchalz in Dordives, France. The Hotel de Ville (City Hall) of Montargis, population 14,825. Work from home setup for the Director leading the restoration of a medieval fortress. Roadside signs in Île-de-France.
The town of Château-Landon was once a major European pilgrimage hub. A Christian community resided there dating back to the 6th century. The church Église Notre-Dame de l'Assomption (Church of our Lady of the Assumption) was built between the 11th and 14th centuries. It is a blend of Carolingian, Romanesque, and Gothic architectural styles. The bell tower dominates the town at a height of 180 feet. The tower has survived invasions, wars, lightning and fires. This bell tower is a true architectural feat.
The Counts of Gâtinais were prominent medieval nobles who governed Central France in medieval times. Their primary stronghold was Château-Landon. The most famous Count was Geoffrey II, who became the male-line ancestor of the royal Plantagenet dynasty that ruled England for 331 years. This was the dynasty of Richard the Lionheart and the Maga Carta.
The Horseshoe Staircase is the most iconic architectural feature of the Château de Fontainebleau. It was commissioned by King Louis XIII and built between 1632 and 1634. The staircase is also an unrivaled architectural achievement which very quickly became an benchmark imitated throughout Europe.
The staircase is famously known as the spot where Napoleon gave his farewell speech to his troops. Napoleon was banished to the Mediterranean island of Elba under the Treaty of Fontainebleau. Following his official abdication on April 1814, he traveled to the coast and set sail, arriving on May 4, 1814. He would remain there for nearly ten months before escaping and returning to France to briefly reclaim power until the British defeated the French army at the Battle of Waterloo.
"Soldiers of my Old Guard, I bid you farewell. For twenty years you have been my constant companions on the road to honour and glory... Do not lament my fate; the only reason I have allowed myself to survive was so that I could further serve our glory. I want to write down the great deeds which we have done together."
Napoleon Bonaparte in his Farewell to the Old Guard on April 20, 1814, from the Horseshoe Staircase at Château de Fontainebleau.
PLACES / FRANCE Gallery Pages