Chantilly Named France's Favorite Monument, Attracting Half a Million Visitors
Chantilly, a lavish domain north of Paris, has been named the top monument in France's Favorite Monument of the French competition. The site, which attracts over 500,000 visitors annually, has gained new national visibility after its recent victory.
The Duke of Aumale, Henri d'Orléans, reconstructed the Château de Chantilly in the 19th century after inheriting it from his godfather, Louis Henri Joseph de Bourbon, Duke of Condé. He rebuilt the Grand Château between 1876 and 1882, donating it to the Institute of France with the condition that nothing be moved.
The Condé Museum at Chantilly preserves the second collection of ancient paintings in France, after the Louvre. Its library houses thousands of volumes and manuscripts of exceptional rarity, including the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. The park at Chantilly is labeled a Remarkable Garden and includes French-style parterres, an Anglo-Chinese garden, and an English garden. The architecture and gardens have been designed as a coherent landscape, with each element responding to the previous one.
Chantilly, open every day except Tuesday from 10am to 6pm (8pm for the park), is not just a castle, but an entire domain that serves as a living history museum. Its recent recognition as the top monument in France highlights its significance and appeal to visitors.
