The Château of Chantilly

Bonjour mes amis! Wednesday, January 26, I began my mid-year Fulbright Meeting at the Château de Chantilly. We gave speeches and had our meetings in the morning, and then began our tour in the afternoon. This is a beautiful château, located in an immense forest about an hour from the heart of Paris, in Chantilly, France. It includes two buildings, the Grand Château, destroyed during the French Revolution and rebuilt in the 1870s, and the Petit Château which was built in 1560 for Anne de Montmorency. The château houses the Musée Condé, which is one of the finest art galleries in France. Fulbright participants, including research scholars as well as exchange teachers, had a fascinating tour of the château as well as the museum. There are a couple of interesting pieces of history associated with this château during the 17th century. Molière's play, Les Précieuses Ridicules, was first performed at the château in 1659. Louis XIV visited Chantilly in 1671. Memoirs related that when Louis XIV visited in 1671, the maître d'hôtel to the Grand Condé committed suicide when he feared the fish would be served late. Incroyable, n'est-ce pas?

Mme. Wallace