Design Traveler Visits: Le Domaine de Chantilly, France
When thinking of Paris and ch�teaux, Versailles, Fontainebleau and perhaps the Loire Valley come to mind. But just a short distance from central Paris lies a gem of a ch�teau that has been carefully restored and offers some serious eye candy of paintings, decorative arts, gardens and equestrian displays.
The Domaine de Chantilly passed from different parts of the same family without ever being sold, from 1386 to 1897. The Ch�teau first opened to the public in 1898, less than a year after the death of the final owner, Henri d�Orleans, Duke of Aumale. As with the Louvre, the Ch�teau de Chantilly was improved, expanded, destroyed and rebuilt over the course of centuries. Its long history is complex, fascinating and, well�very French...
Chantilly was at its peak in the 17th century, when Andr� Le N�tre (who would be later become the head gardener at Versailles) created a Grand Canal, water features and parterres. Chantilly came alive with grand balls and fireworks displays, visits from Louis XV and plays by Moli�re.
The fun came to a halt during the French Revolution, when the collections of the Ch�teau were seized and carted off to the Louvre and the Ch�teau served first as a prison, then was partially demolished. The Ch�teau regained its glory in the 19th century when Henri d'Orl�ans, the fifth son of King Louis-Philippe, inherited the property (and great wealth) in 1830 at the age of eight.
Today, a visit to the Domaine includes the Renaissance-style Ch�teau, with grand entry hall and hunt theme, intimate chapel, a generous painting gallery, library with over 1,300 manuscripts and 12,500 books, private apartments and gardens. The collections are presented today just as they were in the 19th century as Henri d�Orleans had arranged them. The collection can be considered a mini-Louvre, with representation by many great French and Italian masters such as Raphael, Corot, Watteau, Poussin, Delacroix and Clouet.
The private apartments have been undergoing extensive renovation since 2005, and the details behind that work are interesting from a design standpoint. The largest expense of restoration work on the Ch�teau is gold leaf. Pure, 24 karat gold leaf is used, not paint, and there is a lot of it. The walls and relief are cleaned, to uncover the original colors, and not completely repainted. The paint is made especially for the Domaine with a base of what is called colle de peau, or animal glue, which holds well for centuries and has been used since ancient times.
The Domaine de Chantilly is a marvelous and carefully restored ch�teau with its collection of period decorative arts, paintings, book & manuscripts. In addition to being beautiful, it is also fascinating in that it is the personal collection of one man, Henri d�Orleans. If you have visited the Louvre or Versailles, you will love this Ch�teau, for the intimate portrait it paints of the tastes and life of one of France�s royal sons after the monarchy. In the spring and summer, the Domaine also presents a series of live horse shows and dressage demonstrations in the Grand Stables.
For more information on the Ch�teau de Chantilly, visit www.chateaudechantilly.com
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Andrea Drexelius is a devoted Francophile and divides her time between Laguna Beach and various destinations in France. In addition to importing classic French market baskets, she writes extensively on France. The first of her e-book series R�ve will focus on Paris (including Chantilly) and will be published imminently. Information on R�ve and her blog can be found HERE. 
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