Horseshoe Staircase
1996 © Maxim Tabachnik
Cour du Cheval BlancRoom of the Duchesse d’ÉtampesGallery of Francis INapoleon’s BedroomCrowned Salamander Emblem of Francis IGolden Gate PavilionRenaissance Courtyard, Château de FontainebleauBallroom, Château de FontainebleauHorseshoe StaircaseTapestry RoomNapoleon's Throne RoomTribune of the MusiciansPorte DoréeAnne of Austria’s BedchamberNapoleon’s Bath ChamberFireplace in Anne of Austria’s BedchamberWith My Mother Irina at FontainebleauView of Palace and GardensAbdication Room

Horseshoe StaircaseJean Androuet du Cerceau

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This staircase (1634) in the Cour du Cheval Blanc embodies French Baroque grandeur with its dramatic double flight. Built as both passage and stage, it framed royal appearances and departures, later immortalized by Napoleon’s farewell to the Imperial Guard in 1814. More than an entryway, it symbolizes Fontainebleau’s role as theater of power.