Fontainebleau

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

The commune of Fontainebleau is located about 35 miles south of Paris, and boasts the largest land area in the Ile-de-France region. It is the only commune to cover a larger land mass than Paris.

Fontainebleau is renowned for it's enormous forest which is a favorite weekend getaway for Parisians, as well as it's chateau which at one time belonged to the King's of France. The commune is also home to one of the worlds most renowned business schools, INSEAD.

Those who inhabit the commune are called Bellifontains.

From the 16th to 18th century, each and every monarch made many changes in the Palace of Fontainebleau. This included demolitions, embellishments, reconstructions and additions. While these renovations created a heterogenous character, the Palace remains a harmonious blend of styles.