In the midst of the vast forest of Compiègne, the majestic bulk of the medieval Chateau de Pierrefonds opens up on a hilltop like a fairy tale.
Built in the XIV century by the powerful brother of the French king, Duke Louis d’Orléans, this castle went through many vicissitudes of history, until its destruction in the XVII century by the troops of Cardinal Richelieu (Armand-Jean du Plessis, duc de Richelieu).
In the second half of the XIX century Napoleon III paid attention to it. Having established a luxurious autumn residence nearby in the castle of Compiégne, the emperor commissioned the famous architect Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc to restore the castle. The master restored the curtain walls (part of the ramparts or walls between the bastions), the drawbridge, the guard road on the roof, embrasures and machicoulis (machicoulis – hinged loopholes located in the upper parts of the walls and towers), and inside he created a unique hall of “women – bogatyrsha”, where nine depicted goddesses were given portrait features of Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, and ladies from her entourage. Already at the end of her long life, having come from England, where she was in exile, Eugénie de Montijo (Eugénie de Montijo), the former empress, visited once again so beloved by her Compiègne and Pierrefonds and was very touched to see herself in the prime of life in this hall …
It is probably the most impressive in size, preservation and power of all the castles of France. The beauty of the courtyard, the sculptures, the harmony of proportions, the scale of the interiors, the views opening from the castle – all this conquers and delights the traveler.
