Cour du Cheval Blanc
1996 © Maxim Tabachnik
Tapestry RoomChambre de la Duchesse d’ÉtampesNapoleon's Throne RoomTribune of the MusiciansPorte DoréeCour du Cheval BlancAnne of Austria’s BedchamberNapoleon’s Bath ChamberFireplace in Anne of Austria’s BedchamberWith My Mother Irina at FontainebleauCrowned Salamander Emblem of Francis INapoleon's Bedroom

Cour du Cheval Blanc

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This Courtyard of the White Horse (16th–17th cc.) served as Fontainebleau’s main ceremonial space, its name recalling a large equestrian fresco once painted on the surrounding walls. The celebrated Horseshoe Staircase built under Louis XIII once dominated the approach. The courtyard’s broad wings reflect the palace’s evolution from François I’s Renaissance program to later Bourbon grandeur, staging royal entries with controlled theatricality.