« One of the most beautiful examples of the French heritage, combining culture, nature and discovery ».
The construction
The Château of Chantilly was originally a seven-tower medieval fortress surrounded by ditches and built on swampy grounds in the Valley of Nonette.
The Château belonged to Guy de Senlis, King Louis VI's bottler, at the end of the XIth century. His family kept it until the XVIth century. Pillaged by the Jacques in 1358, the fortress was sold in 1386 by Guy de Laval to former chancellor Pierre d'Orgemont, who undertook the erection of the castle that year.
The present Château is a XIXth century reconstruction based on plans by architect Honoré Daumet for the last son of King Louis-Philippe, Henri of Orléans, Duke of Aumale (1822-1897), who inherited the estate and gathered collections of paintings, drawings and ancient books.
In 1884, the Duke of Aumale, with no heir, bequeathed the estate of Chantilly to the Institut de France on the condition that the Museum of Condé would be open to the public. The Domain of Chantilly comprises the castle on the location of the medieval fortress, the Great Stables, built from 1719 to 1940, a true masterpiece by architect Jean Aubert now housing the Living Museum of the Horse and the Gardens, a remarkable creation of André Le Nôtre.

Nowadays :
A listed monument since April 2nd, 1963, the Château of Chantilly is home to one of the most  beautiful museums dedicated to old paintings after the Louvre. It also houses a surprising library of rare and precious books. The castle is located in the middle of a huge 7,800-hectare estate, in the heart of the range of the Three Forests - Chantilly, Halatte and Ermenonville - at the outskirts of Paris.
The Château and Condé Museum :
The museum is home to:

• 1,000 paintings
• 2,500 drawings
• 2,500 carvings  
• 30,000 books including 12,000 old prints
• 1500 manuscripts

The Book Room :
The Book Room was set up in 1876-77 in the XVIth century Petit Château by Honoré Daumet, the architect in charge of the reconstruction of the entire edifice. It was conceived to receive the Duke of Aumale's book collection as well as to be a place to read and work.

The Grand Apartments :
Made up of several rooms with vintage furniture, Monsieur le Prince's bedroom is one of the most sumptuous. Woodwork executed by Jean Aubert circa 1720 subtly adorn the place. Of note is Riesener's large marquetry bureau which belonged to Louis XVI.

The Chapel :
The Chapel of the Château, dedicated to Saint-Louis whose statue by Marqueste surmounts the outside façade, was built in 1882 by architect Honoré Daumet on request of the Duke of Aumale. It was erected more or less where the former edifice was located before the French Revolution.

The Park and Gardens :
Chantilly offers the opportunity to stroll in a vast 115-hectare park drawn up by Le Nôtre at the end of the XVIth century, a unique testimony to the history of gardens in the western world.

The French Garden by Le Nôtre :

Chantilly was Le Nôtre's favourite creation. As usual, he split up the park into two perpendicular axes, the first one lined up with the terrace constructed by the Connétable of Montmorency, the second one with the Grand Canal.

 
The Great Stables - The Living Museum of the Horse :
The Great Stables were built by architect Jean Aubert between 1719 and 1740. Of an exceptional size, the 186-meter construction used to accommodate 240 horses and 500 dogs in different packs for the daily hunting sessions in the Forest of Chantilly. The Living Museum of the Horse would open in 1982 and is now being renovated.