At Château Rambouillet: Shells and an Exclusive Estate

The " hunting grounds" of Rambouillet attracted prominent monarchs in French history over several centuries, including Charles VI, François I, Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI . Lying 50 km (31 miles) from Paris on the edge of a forest, the château belonged in turn to the Regnault d'Angennes family, Fleuriau d'Armenonville, the Count of Toulouse—then his son—and the Duc de Penthièvre, and was finally bought by the king himself in 1783. The first building was constructed in 1345. Its most important feature, the François I tower, is still standing today. It underwent numerous transformations and extensions over the centuries. The various periods are reflected in the interior decoration: the architecture of King François I's bedroom, the marble room dating to Henri II's time; the elegant wood paneling of the Appartement d'Assemblée dating to the period of the Count of Toulouse—"the finest in the kingdom during the 18th century," to quote Isabelle de Gourcuff (administrator of the Rambouillet estate since June 2021); the Delft earthenware bathroom; the Emperor's apartment (whose restoration…