Chantilly, France : the Grand Chateau

France has hundreds of chateaus that were built by its kings, princes, nobles and wealthy families in the past centuries. Many of them are still maintained in their graceful state.  Along the Lori Valley and around Paris, you can visit these beautiful chateaus.  I have been to five of them, including the famous Chateau of Versailles.  Recently, my wife and I visited the Grand Chateau in Chantilly.  Its architectural beauty and rich cultural contents are just stunning.

Chantilly had been developed initially on a small island in the marsh area.  After significant efforts of the de Montmorency family since the 16th century and then reconstruction by the due d'Aumale, Before the death of due d'Aumale in 1897, he bequeathed Chantilly and his collections to the Institut de France.  Chantilly is a master show piece for the French arts and cultures.  I will  compare Chantilly to Versailles and Louvre. 

(The Grand Chateau of Chantilly)

(Beautiful French garden with fountains and waterways)

(Status of hunting dogs guarding the chateau entrance)

What impressed me most is not its architectural beauty, it is the cultural artifacts kept in Chantilly.  It is home of the Conde Museum which has beautiful gallery of paintings.  Its rich collections of French, Italian, Flemish and German art works from the 15th to 19th centuries are only next to the Louvre Museum.

(The art gallery exhibits many great European paintings)



(The famous painting of Raphael - The Three Graces)

(Eugene Fromentin's Hunting for Heron)

(Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres's Venus Anadyomene)

Chantilly also has invaluable collections of illuminated manuscripts and rare books.  It has maintained a professional team to manage its great library and archives. 

(The Library)

(Professional archives team at work)

Besides arts and cultural works, Chantilly also has the Grand Stables.  Its famous equestrian training and house demonstrations bring further fame to the Chantilly.  If you are in Paris, do not spend all your time inside the city for its great food and leisurely goods.  Chantilly is just an hour ride from Paris.

(The Grand Stables and racing course)

Avignon, Aix-en-Provence and Carcassonne : romantic medieval towns in south France

Europe has many beautiful medieval towns.  When I have more leisure time, I like to visit these historical towns better than big cities. Recently, my wife and I spent about a week in south France.  We enjoyed our stay in medieval towns of Avignon, Aix-en-Provence and Carcassonne.

There are few common characters about these medieval towns. Unlike modern cities, they have much smaller population of about several hundreds or thousands. Before entering the towns, you will first come across their protective walls.  In the medieval time, the protective walls and gates were necessary to protect the towns against external threats.  Many of these walls may have been pulled down for expansion in modern time.   

(Avignon with its walls)

(Entering the walled-town Carcassonne through its gate)

The protective walls provided safety to medieval town folks.  However, they also limited their space for housing and expansion.  When you travel to these medieval towns, you will find their streets are quite narrow.  Houses are clustered closely together.  One way to navigate these medieval towns is to locate their town squares.  Town squares are used by the town folks for trades and social gatherings.  Nowadays, cafes and restaurants are opened on the sides of town squares.  You can enjoy yourself in one of these cafes and watch the activities around.

(Former corn exchange near town square of Aix-en-Provence)

Fountains or memorial statuses are common architectural structures in the town squares.  Town halls and churches are within short walk from the squares.  If you get lost inside the towns, you can ask directions for the town squares.  You can then re-orientate yourself from there.

(Fountain in town square of Aix-en-Provence)

Within the towns, many old buildings are converted into small hotels, shops and restaurants.  Tourist business provides employment to the town folks and nearby population.  Local economy of these historical towns has been supported by tourists.

For more than a century in the medieval time, Avignon was the seat of papacy instead of Rome.  When you travel there, you will not miss the impressive Gothic papacy palace.  It is a walled palace within the walled medieval town of Avignon.


(The Palais des Papes in Avignon)

 
Aix-en-Provence had been the provincial capital of Provence.  It was also the trading center for its agricultural economy in the medieval time.  Its historical corn exchange was located in the town square.  Remember to look it up when you are there.

Carcassonne had been an important outpost since the Roman time.  It also lied in the trade route between Iberia and France.  Even you travel there nowadays, you can still feel the Iberian cultural influence.  You can find good Spainish wines and food there.

(Spanish seafood rice in a hugh pan)