Chateau de Fontainebleau

Rebuilt from circa 1540 onwards for King Francis I (1494-1547), it is one of the largest of all the French Royal Chateaux and served as a Royal residence for each successive generation from King Louis VII (1120-1180) to Emperor Napoleon III (1808-1873). It has helped to inspired countless buildings in Europe and America. In 1924, John D. Rockefeller paid for its restoration in a project led by William Welles Bosworth. Today, the chateau is a French national museum and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.