Wednesday 6 November 2013

Chapel of the Trinity

The Chapel of the Trinity was not actually built for Fontainebleau but used to be the monastery church of a nearby monastery but Francis I had it re-annexed to Fontainebleau and this is how it became a part of the palace. It took a long time to finish the interior décor and it was not until Henri IV's reign that it began to take on the shape it has now. It is the frescoes that dominates the décor and it was created by Martin Fréminet. Louis XV married Marie Leszczynska in this chapel in 1725 before the entire French court. Francesco Bordoni was commissioned to create the altarpiece as well as a design for the floor.

The interior underlines the strict hierarchy at court - there are more levels and the King and Queen would normally be placed on a platform while the balconies were reserved for the princes and princesses. The altar was painted in 1642 by Jean Dubois.





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