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Origin and history

The Château de Compiègne, located in the Oise region of Hauts-de-France, is a former royal and imperial residence, classified as a historical monument since 1994. With Fontainebleau, Versailles and the Tuileries, he was one of the major places of power of the Second Empire, notably under Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie, who organized there the famous Series of Compiègne, a fascist reception gathering the European elite. Its architecture, designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel and Louis Le Dreux de La Châtre between 1751 and 1788, combines neoclassical sobriety and innovations, as a triangular plan adapted to the irregular terrain.

The palace succeeded four earlier buildings, including a merovingian palace frequented by Clovis I and his successors, and a medieval castle built under Charles V in the 14th century. Louis XV, passionate about hunting, stayed there regularly and launched his reconstruction in the 18th century, although Louis XVI and the French Revolution delayed its completion. Under the First Empire, Napoleon I received Marie-Louise of Austria in 1810 and had the interiors renovated in a sumptuous style, combining woodwork, bronzes and luxurious fabrics.

The Second Empire marked the climax of the castle, transformed into a fall resort for the Compiègne Series, where hunting, arts and diplomacy were mixed. Napoleon III and Eugénie welcomed European rulers, such as Tsar Nicholas II in 1901. The castle also housed museums dedicated to the Second Empire, Empress Eugénie, and a National Car Museum, demonstrating its cultural role. Occupied during the two world wars, it was restored and opened to the public, preserving its furniture and decorations of the period.

The park, partially designed by Gabriel and redesigned by Berthault in an English garden, includes emblematic elements such as Avenue des Beaux-Monts, inspired by Schönbrunn, and the crib of the Empress, a 1,200-metre plant toner. Ranked a remarkable garden since 2004, it completes the architectural ensemble, reflecting the landscape tastes of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

The castle was also a place of symbolic power: Charles X stayed there before his sacre in Reims in 1825, and Louis-Philippe I married his daughter Louise d'Orléans to the Belgian king in 1832. After 1870, it became a national domain, hosting exhibitions and cultural events, such as concerts (Mika in 2011) or diplomatic summits (France-Germany-Russia meeting in 2006).

Today, the Château de Compiègne, administered by the Ministry of Culture, houses four museums (Second Empire, Empress, Car, Historical Apartments) and a classified park. Its architecture, its interior decorations (bal gallery, imperial apartments) and its history make it an exceptional witness to the life of French court, from the Enlightenment to the Belle Époque.

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