Palace of Fontainebleau | |
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![]() Château de Fontainebleau | |
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Location | Fontainebleau, Seine-et-Marne, France |
Coordinates | 48°24′8″N 2°42′2″E / 48.40222°N 2.70056°E |
Official name | Palace and Park of Fontainebleau |
Type | Cultural |
Criteria | ii, vi |
Designated | 1981 (5th session) |
Reference no. | 160 |
UNESCO Region | Europe and North America |
Palace of Fontainebleau (/ˈfɒntɪnbloʊ/ FON-tin-bloh, US also /-bluː/ -bloo;[1] French: Château de Fontainebleau [ʃɑto d(ə) fɔ̃tɛnblo]), located 55 kilometers (34 miles) southeast of the center of Paris, in the commune of Fontainebleau, is one of the largest French royal châteaux. It served as a hunting lodge and summer residence for many of the French monarchs, including Louis VII, Francis I, Henry II, Louis-Philippe, Napoleon Bonaparte and Napoleon III. Though the monarchs only resided there for a few months of the year, they gradually transformed it into a genuine palace, filled with art and decoration.[2][3] It became a national museum in 1927 and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 for its unique architecture and historical importance.[4]