Turkish boudoir

The Château de Fontainebleau was one of the favourite places to stay for French kings and emperors. For eight centuries, everyone renovated it to his or her own taste and left their mark on it.

Marie-Antoinette was no exception to the rule, and in 1777 ordered the construction of the Turkish boudoir, a true private haven for the queen. Concealed in a mezzanine of the castle above the ceremonial chamber, she could retire there, sheltered from the etiquette of the court. Originally designed by the architect Richard Mique and decorated by the Rousseau brothers, it was completely stripped of its original furniture after the Revolution. It was restored to its full lustre during the First Empire when the Empress Josephine, who admired Marie-Antoinette, decided to make it her private bedroom, with Jacob Desmalter's designs upholstered in precious fabrics.

The alcove, the mirrors, the pulley-operated curtains, the beautifully restored decorative paintings and all the priceless furniture and gold woven fabrics attest to the penchant for exoticism during the Ancien Régime.
A real jewel of architecture and refinement!

As the boudoir can only accommodate 7 people at a time, the guided tour (château admission ticket included) takes place in two phases: an explanatory film on the creation and restoration of the boudoir and then the tour led by a lecturer.