The Turkish boudoir of the Château de Fontainebleau immerses you in the intimacy of Queen Marie-Antoinette and Empress Joséphine.
A refined place of retreat
The Château de Fontainebleau was one of the favorite places to stay for French kings and emperors. For eight centuries, everyone has shaped it to their liking and left their mark. Marie-Antoinette was no exception to the rule by having the Turkish boudoir built in 1777, a real cocoon of intimacy for the Queen. The Turkish boudoir of Marie-Antoinette constitutes a kind of gift offered by Louis XVI to his wife. Located above the parade chamber, it presents itself as a refined place of retreat allowing the queen to “sulk” the gravity of the court. Its decor results from a taste for exoticism and a fascination for the Orient. It has “Turkish” its ornaments of turbans, cassolettes, incense burners, rows of pearls, crescent moons and ears of corn.
Marie-Antoinette ‘s boudoir : a true jewel of architecture
Originally laid out according to plans by the architect Richard Mique and decorated by the Rousseau brothers, it was completely emptied of its original furniture after the Revolution. It regained all its luster under the First Empire when the Empress Joséphine, who admired Marie-Antoinette, decided to nest her private bedroom there, with creations by Jacob-Desmalter adorned with precious fabrics. The alcove, the mirrors, the curtains operated by pulleys, the beautifully restored painted decorations as well as the precious furniture and the fabrics woven with gold testify to the taste for exoticism of the Ancien Régime. A true jewel of architecture and refinement ! As the boudoir can only accommodate 7 people at a time, the guided tour takes place in two stages: an explanatory film on the creation and restoration of the boudoir and then the tour guided by a speaker.
Access and contacts :
Château de Fontainebleau – Le boudoir turc de Marie-Antoinette
77300 Fontainebleau
01 60 71 50 70
