Château de Chantilly

France boasts countless castles built across the centuries, but the Château de Chantilly is among the most captivating. Its construction dates back to the medieval period, and in the 15th century the constable Anne de Montmorency inherited it and launched an ambitious renovation campaign in Renaissance style. The castle later passed to the house of the Grand Condé: Louis the Grand Condé, known for openly opposing Cardinal Mazarin during the Fronde, had his Chantilly residence confiscated as one of the first consequences of his rebellion.

It was Louis who commissioned André Le Nôtre — already the mastermind behind the gardens of Versailles — to design the park. Le Nôtre diverted water from the river Nonette to create a Grand Canal, and laid out the north parterres of the castle. In 1830, upon the death of the last Prince of Condé, the residence was inherited by Henri d'Orléans, Duke of Aumale, son of King Louis-Philippe. At his death in 1897, the castle and the entire estate were bequeathed to the Institut de France.

Inside, you will find one of the most important collections of Italian art after the Louvre: Raphael's Three Graces, the Book of Hours of the Duke of Berry, Piero di Cosimo's portrait of Simonetta Vespucci, Poussin's Massacre of the Innocents, and many other works of extraordinary value.

Easily reached from Paris, Chantilly is the perfect destination for those with a little more time who wish to explore the beauty of the Oise region. And it is here that you can taste the celebrated crème chantilly — born within these very walls.